Ode to Memory
by yeah-well-hey
Summary: These are the forgotten memories of Venus and Kunzite, who fell in love during the ancient days of the Earth Kingdom, at the time of the Silver Millennium.
1. Chapter One: Goiteía

**Note: This story generally respects the plot (and characterizations) of the manga, but does also reinterpret certain elements of it. Essentially, it is contained within its own AU.**

* * *

**Goiteía**

I.

When she first laid eyes on him, she thought him an apparition of the God of Winds.

_Aeolus._

He stood at the edge of the stone terrace, his hand on the railing and his gaze fixed upon the open sea. His grey cape and his long white hair stretched out in the steady breeze, the gathering of a storm. The winds blew all around him, yet he was so still, so silent, like he was their master, and had no fear of their wrath.

Venus had never seen him before. Doubted his very existence as she watched him in secret. She had come looking for her Princess in the gardens of Prince Endymion's palace, and had lost herself amongst the flowers and rows of white statues.

The distant sound of crashing waves had steadily lead her down marble stairs, to the terrace that overlooked the water. At the sight of the stranger, she he had stopped halfway on the steps, unable to breathe.

_What vision was this?_

But she did not linger. The echo of laughter soon reached her ears. Reluctantly, she turned around, following it to the top of the stairs and through a gallery of pillars. A woman in a shimmering white dress slipped from view behind a white column.

"Princess Serenity!" Venus shouted, pacing towards her. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."  
Serenity stepped forward, emerging from her hiding place.  
"Venus..."  
"Well? What are you doing here?"  
"I simply wanted to see the Earth. It's such a beautiful place. Do you not think it a beautiful place, Venus?"  
She could not disagree. The air, the atmosphere, the vegetation were all incomparable.  
"Of course it is, Princess. But it's time for us to go home now. You cannot sneak in here whenever it pleases you. What would Prince Endymion say?"  
A delicate smile.  
"Oh, he doesn't mind. That is to say, he wouldn't mind. When I spoke to him in the gardens for the first time, he told me I could come back and visit his palace whenever I wanted."  
"So you've been here before? And you've _spoken_ to an Earthling? It isn't right. I must watch and protect you, my Princess. You cannot run off without telling me where you are going."  
"I know. I'm sorry, Venus."  
"Do you promise not to do this again?"  
Giving no response, Serenity embraced her. She would not make a promise that she did not intend to keep.

For during the days that followed, Princess Serenity returned to the Earth as many times as she could escape the watchful eye of her head Guardian, the Princess of Venus.

II.

The white terrace was empty. It reflected the light of the sun, its brightness disorienting Venus, who had once again come to Endymion's Palace in search of her Princess. How many more times would she have to come to this place? Two days before, she had found Serenity by a fountain. The next day, on a swing under a willow tree. Where would she find her now? The immensity of the gardens overwhelmed her, so she had come to the terrace, where she once thought she had seen Aeolus.

_But he was not there._

"Why are you chasing a ghost?" Venus asked herself. "You have a responsibility. It's Serenity you should be looking for."

She gave a last glance at the sea, at the railing where Aeolus had placed his hand, then wandered off down another set of stairs that lead into a paved garden, which had a spiral carved at its center. It was filled with translucent stones. One of them caught Venus' attention. It was a pearl, much like those Serenity wore in her hair.

She knelt down to pick it up. As she rose, she examined the pearl in the palm of her hand. Her Princess couldn't be far. Encouraged, she walked over to to the other end of the courtyard, and soon arrived in an alley of trees.

And Serenity was there.

Venus rushed towards her so quickly that she did not even notice that the Princess was not alone.

"Princess! You're here _again?_ We have to go home!" she cried.  
"I don't want to go home!" Serenity complained.  
"Well that's a shame, because it's precisely where we're headed. I thought I told you to stay away!"  
"Please forgive me, I am the one who told her she could come."  
Venus turned around, not immediately recognizing the voice that had just spoken.  
It was Prince Endymion.  
"Your Highness," Venus said, bowing her head. "It is I who should ask for your forgiveness. I'm supposed to watch my Princess and make sure she doesn't wander off like this."  
"Princess Serenity is very fond of my palace, and its gardens. I was just showing her around. I see no harm in letting her visit."  
"Queen Serenity would not approve. I have orders to follow."  
"I understand. But please do not berate her. She has a heart for all that is beautiful."

Before Venus could respond, a white-haired man arrived from the spiral garden.  
He wore a sword, a white tunic lined with gold and a dark grey cape. Inside, it was as blue as the sea.  
_It was him._  
The God of Winds.

He looked at her very carefully, and seemed for a moment lost in his thoughts. Who was she? Her beauty pierced him; a silver blade slipping through his heart. Her hair was like a field of golden wheat, and her eyes, like the sea that he loved so much. There was such nobility in her gaze. Her direct gaze, which he sustained, unwilling to break the spell she had laid upon him.

"It must be hard having a bundle of curiosity for a princess," he smiled, addressing Venus directly.  
"Kunzite!" Endymion reprimanded him in a friendly tone.  
The Prince then turned towards Venus.  
"This is Kunzite, my head guardian and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Earth," he explained. "Kunzite, this is the Princess of Venus. Serenity's head Guardian."  
_So she was the incarnation of the Goddess of Beauty and Love._  
_It was fitting._  
Kunzite bowed politely, his right palm pressed against the base of his throat.  
"Princess."  
_A Heavenly King? Heavenly, like a god of the sky. Like a god of winds._  
Venus could barely react. She was at loss for words. Her cheeks were flushed, they felt so hot. She rapidly examined him. Kunzite was tall, dignified, composed. She could not quite tell the colour of his eyes; they appeared to be blue, but the light coming through the trees made them seem almost purple. Even now, as he stood before her, he still reminded her of a vision, of Aeolus himself.

"I was just telling Venus that Princess Serenity is very fond of the palace gardens," Endymion said, his hands behind his back.  
"Indeed, she is," Kunzite said, finally looking away.  
"Won't you stay for a little while longer, the both of you? Perhaps you would like some tea."  
"Your invitation is very gracious, your Highness," Venus replied, "But I'm afraid we must decline it. The mere fact that you two met in person... Besides, Princess Serenity is expected on the Moon."  
"Only for a few minutes."  
Kunzite put a hand on his Prince's shoulder.  
"Come now, Prince Endymion. It is best to let them go. We don't want them to get into trouble for not attending to their respective duties, do we?"  
"You're right, Kunzite."  
Endymion took Serenity's hand and kissed it.  
"Goodbye, Princess. Come back whenever you like."  
"Not if I can help it," muttered her Guardian.  
Serenity beamed. Venus grabbed her arm, and began to pull her away. She glanced at Kunzite one last time, but he had already turned away to leave with the Prince.

III.

Weeks passed, and Princess Serenity kept finding ways of eluding her head Guardian and returning to the Earth Kingdom. On one occasion, Venus even sent the Princess of Mars after her, hoping to scare her. Mars had always had more authority over Serenity than anyone else. Unfortunately, it did not suffice in dissuading Serenity. There was something that she loved about the Earth. Something other than the beautiful gardens of Endymion's Palace.

Venus soon understood that.

IV.

She was lost yet again. No matter how many times Venus had come looking for her Princess in Endymion's gardens, she always seemed to lose all sense of direction. The flowers were ever-changing, the paths, always lined with new colours. Now, as many times before, Venus did not know where she was. She stopped in front of a statue of a huntress holding an arrow in her hand. It was different from all the other statues around the palace. It was partly covered in moss, and time had given it a darker shade.

"This is the statue that I most like," said a voice behind her.  
Venus was startled. But when she realized Kunzite was standing right next to her, she became agitated.  
"I-I..."  
"Are you lost, Princess?" he inquired, arms crossed and head slightly tilted sideways.  
He had seen her from afar, this burning flame. He was drawn to her, as a vagrant is to warmth on a cold, starry night.  
"A little," Venus finally replied. "I was looking for Princess Serenity. She's disappeared again."  
"Ah yes. Princess Serenity is here. I will take you to her, if you wish. She is with the Prince, filling the lotus pond with paper boats."  
"I'm so sorry about this. I don't know how she manages to... But I can't keep her locked up, can I?"  
"Indeed not."  
"I don't understand why she keeps coming here. I mean, it _is_ very beautiful. Everyone envies the Earth's atmosphere. But it's dangerous."  
Venus bit her tongue, embarrassed by what she had just said.  
"Forgive me. I don't mean to imply that this place itself is dangerous. I'm sure you and the other guards are excellent at protecting your prince. And I'm sure the entire palace is safe on your account. But Serenity cannot wander off unattended."  
"Is Queen Serenity aware of her daughter's escapades?"  
"No, no, not at all. I haven't told her. I don't want her to be angry with the Princess. I know that the people of the Moon shouldn't meet with those of the Earth, but... she's not doing anything wrong. She just enjoys being in this garden."  
"I see."  
There was a gust of wind. It created waves in Kunzite's white hair.  
"So I thought I would take care of this matter myself," Venus continued. "Discreetly. But I'm afraid this is becoming a habit."  
"Do you find it hard to keep up with your Princess?"  
"I am rather tired of this game of hers. Then again, there are worse tasks than playing hide and seek. What about you? I bet your Prince is easier to handle than Serenity."  
Kunzite laughed.  
"He is a good man, and a loyal friend. He gives me no difficulties."  
"Just as I thought."  
"I was told you sent the Princess of Mars here the other day."  
"Yes. She is my closest friend. I thought she could persuade Serenity to refrain from coming here. But as you can see, it didn't work."  
Kunzite stared distractedly at the statue.  
"I have noticed that Endymion enjoys Princess Serenity's company."  
Venus blinked.  
"He... does? Well yes, I believe he does. She is such a pleasant person."  
"Oh, I think he finds her more than pleasant."  
"You mean...?"  
"I have my suspicions, Princess. I've watched Prince Endymion most carefully. He seems unusually elated. He should never even have come into direct contact with Princess Serenity, but I suppose it is too late now. Although discouraged, friendliness can be tolerated. But not love, for it is a transgression. If something has passed between them, we cannot allow it."  
"Perhaps it is only an impression."  
"There is also the fact that your Princess keeps coming here."  
"She is merely here for the gardens. The artificial climate on the Moon cannot compete with what exists on Earth. I mean, look at this place. No wonder Serenity longs for it."  
Eyes closed, Venus exhaled. She herself had become attached to Endymion's gardens.  
"Let us hope so."  
"If there was anything else going on," she added, "I would put an end to it. But I don't think there is."  
_There couldn't be._  
"Well, perhaps you would like me to show you the way now," Kunzite said with a faint smile.  
"Yes, thank you. I always wander off in the wrong direction. I don't know where I am half the time. These gardens are immense."  
"The Prince wanted them this way. A entirely separate world."  
"What's your favourite place here? Is it the stone terrace with a view of the sea?"  
He appeared surprised.  
"...How did you know?"  
She blushed, cursing herself for having said that. She did not exactly want him to know that she had watched him from a distance and mistaken him for the God of Winds.  
"Just a guess. You look like the kind of person who enjoys quiet and solitude. And what is more quiet and solitary than the sea?"  
"It is not always quiet," he said. "Sometimes, there are storms."  
There was a moment of silence. At the feet of the statue, the two guardians briefly admired each other, until Kunzite spoke again.  
"Come," he said. "I'll take you to your Princess."

As they strode together across the gardens, part of Venus would have liked to draw nearer to him. And yet, walking at a distance beside him felt unexpectedly warm, as though there were heat radiating from his body. She could not touch him, dared not even accidentally brush against his cape, for fear that she would become more lost in his presence than she had ever been in Endymion's gardens.

V.

She had chosen the path with the vine-covered arch above it. Not because it was the shortest way to the lotus pond, where Venus supposed her Princess had returned the next day, but rather because she did not know where it lead.

"I'll eventually end up by the pond again," Venus reasoned with herself. "It's worth seeing where this path leads me, for future reference."

Slowly, she advanced, enjoying the cool shade of the grapevine leaves. It was so appeasing. At one point she saw a bench, on which she decided to sit for a few moments.  
_Just a few moments._  
She peered through the leaves, thinking she had seen something, but quickly realized she had been mistaken. Then, after waiting around for nothing in particular, she rose and continued to walk.

Eventually, the path ended, and she found herself in a small garden surrounded by grey arcades. There was a fountain, and stone benches all around it.

"Not here either," she sighed, not quite sure of whom she spoke.

Because the passageway intrigued her, she took a turn through it, and then a second one. She had just begun a third turn, when a wooden door suddenly opened on her left. She froze. Someone stepped out.

It was Prince Endymion's head guardian.

Kunzite noticed Venus, and bowed.

"Princess Venus. Lost again?" he asked.  
"I... Yes... I don't really know where I am."  
"This is the temple. Are you looking for your Princess?"  
"Y-Yes. She, uhm. I don't know exactly where she is," Venus chuckled. "Perhaps you've seen her?"  
"No, not today. Are you quite sure she's here?"  
"Positive."  
"Then we must look for her, mustn't we?"  
Venus found sudden interest in the flagstones under her feet, on which she bashfully fixed her eyes.  
"I would very much appreciate your help, thank you."  
"Well now. Do you have an idea of where Princess Serenity might be this time?"  
"Perhaps by the lotus pond. I think she would have liked to stay there longer yesterday, but her paper boat game was cut short."  
"Ah. Then the shortest way to it would be through the North side of this temple."  
"I think we should go _around_," Venus said. "You know, take a detour, in case she's anywhere in the vicinity. I'm not completely certain she's at the pond. It's just a theory."  
Kunzite stared at Venus, amused.  
"You would take the longest way?"  
"I want to be very thorough."  
"Commendable," he said with a slight bow. "Let me oblige you, then."

They left the garden of the temple, and walked under the vine-covered arch that Venus had already explored.

"How long have you been serving Prince Endymion, my Lord?" Venus asked after much hesitation.  
"I was born to be his guardian. But I only began my service when I felt ready to. When I had become wise enough."  
"Then it must have been at a young age."  
He smiled at her compliment.  
"I have always been beyond my years, even as a boy. But it doesn't mean that I didn't have my own caprices."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, before I began serving Endymion, I sailed. Hence my attraction for the sea."  
"You were a sailor?"  
"A captain."  
"Oh," she blushed.  
"You see, I knew very well that I had to protect my Prince one day. But I felt that I should see the world before that. There were times when I even wanted to _rebel_, and live only for myself. I climbed ranks very fast, you see, and soon commanded my own ship. I sailed around the world, not with a fixed destination in mind, but with the desire to know as much of it as I could."  
"That must have been a very interesting time in your life."  
"Not without its risks. I was caught in many storms, from which I thought I would not return home alive. One of them, the worst of all, determined me to finally take on the duties I was born for. Putting myself in danger, I understood, was equivalent to putting Prince Endymion at risk. It meant going against the very purpose of my existence. So I dismissed my crew, sold my ship, and came here to serve my Prince."  
"How poetic."  
"What about you?"  
"Me? Oh, my story isn't nearly as interesting as yours. I, too, was born to serve my Princess. And to reign over my planet, of course. I grew up in my palace, Magellan."  
"Magellan."  
"Yes. It's lovely. You would like it, I assure you. This palace is beautiful as well, but mine is home, and so I might be a little slanted in its favour."  
"Life has taught me that one's home is where one's duties reside."  
"I agree," Venus said, stroking her own arm. "You're very right. I consider Magellan my home, and yet, the Moon also is my home."  
"Then it means you are duly attached to your duties."  
She turned to him with a smile, nodding.  
"So... A captain, huh?" she continued.  
"Only for a while."  
"Were... Were the winds kind to you during your time on the seas?"  
"Not always, as I have told you."  
"But did they ever listen to you? Help you on?"  
"I don't know. Why would they?"  
_Because you are Aeolus._  
"Ah, don't mind me. I'm not making much sense."  
She laughed nervously, wondering why she had even brought that up.

They walked the rest of the way in contemplation, and soon found Serenity by the lotus pond again, as Venus had suspected.

VI.

There was a smell of rain in the air that day.  
Kunzite made the observation to Venus, who looked up at the clouds. She wondered if he had, like Aeolus, the power to chase them all away. She liked to think that he did.

Since her last conversation with Kunzite, Venus had formed a habit of her own. Whenever she would come looking for Serenity on Earth, she would take the longest detours through the gardens, hoping to encounter Endymion's head guardian again. Each time they met, they would search for their masters together. And there would be no haste in their step.

"It will surely rain," Kunzite declared as they walked passed a bush of roses and blue hydrangea.  
"You have a very fine nose," Venus said. "I can't smell a thing. There are so many flowers around us."  
"It's very subtle. A humid kind of scent."  
"Well, it won't be hard convincing Serenity to leave if it starts pouring. Bad weather might do the trick better than ten Princesses of Mars could."  
"Speaking of your friend," Kunzite began. "She left quite an impression on Jedeite, one of my men. He's been acting very strangely lately. He who is always so serious."  
"Oh? I don't think Mars would have lead him on in any way. She's no flirt. I sent her here to get Serenity, and that's exactly what she did."  
"I do not doubt it. Jedeite is the same. He is very focused. Proud. He would never stoop to being sentimental about anyone."  
"Really?"  
"But it seems she has had an effect on him. As involuntarily as it may have been. He's especially irritable and distracted these days. He keeps talking about how rude Serenity's Guardian was to him. He doesn't know, of course, that she also happens to be the Princess of Mars."  
"You didn't tell him?"  
"Do you think he even gave me the chance to? He's been incessantly complaining about her."  
"What did she do? She didn't mention any of this to me."  
"She berated him. For 'encouraging' the Princess. When the poor man has nothing to do with it. I happened to be away that day, and he had taken my place. He had no idea of what has been happening. Of course, I told him, now."  
"So he knows about Serenity coming here all the time?"  
"Yes. And, to cite him, he doesn't care, as long as that impertinent raven-haired girl doesn't come back. Which, in his own language, means that he admires her very much."  
"How strange this Jedeite is."  
"He won't let it go. But it is nothing serious. An idle inclination, nothing more. They are from different planets, after all."  
Venus felt a knot in her stomach.  
"So what exactly does Jedeite do?" she said, trying to ignore it.  
"He is our spiritual guide."  
"Oh."  
"Then, there's Nephrite, our best warrior, who is always training, and Zoisite, our strategist and diplomat, who was recently sent to Mercury, I believe. Prince Endymion wanted him to exchange knowledge with the people of that planet, the most advanced of our solar system."  
"The Princess of Mercury is one of my friends. I didn't know she'd had a visit from one of Endymion's men."  
"A very brief one."

Kunzite looked at Venus, worried about the amount of time they had spent talking.  
_What was he doing?_

He felt a drop of rain fall on the back of his hand and glanced up at the dark clouds that had gathered above them. The rumbling of thunder echoed through the atmosphere. And it soon began to rain. Kunzite removed his cape and placed it over Venus' head, like a cloak.

"I was right," he smiled.

Quickly, they ran, and found refuge under a sandalwood pavilion. By then they were soaked, but none of them seemed to care. The sudden shower freshened the plants, renewed the nature all around them. So they simply sat on the bench, waiting for the storm to pass.

When Venus returned Kunzite's heavy wet cape, she accidentally pulled her ribbon along with it. She untied it to rearrange it, but it was difficult without a mirror at hand.

"Let me help you," he said.

With her back turned towards him, she let him proceed. Without a word, he gently gathered her hair and tied the ribbon in it. A simple, honest gesture that made Venus quiver.

"Are you cold?" he asked, a little flushed himself.  
"No, I'm... I'm fine. Thank you."  
She gave him a smile and sat still, not adding another word.  
Kunzite silently put his cape back on.  
_This was moment he would remember._  
He did not know why. He never did when such a moment occurred. There were instances in life that clung to him, that marked him in unexplainable ways. And this had been one of them.

When the rain stopped, Venus decided that it was time to fetch Serenity and return home. Kunzite agreed.  
"I think she might have gone inside the palace for shelter," he said.  
He led her through the narrow alleys of flowers, passed the fountains, up the stones stairways, and into the palace. Stepping inside, Venus felt uneasy. They walked through an ornate corridor filled with clocks and pushed a heavy door.

At the very center of the palace ballroom, they found what they had been looking for.  
But their relief turned to concern.  
As they discovered that Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity had strayed into a hopeless kiss.

"Prince Endymion," Kunzite said, his voice grave and ominous.

Serenity suddenly stepped away from the Prince, tears forming in her eyes.  
"No!" she cried as Venus paced towards her.  
"You have gone too far, Princess Serenity," her Guardian said.  
"Kunzite. I implore you," Endymion pleaded.  
"I have been too indulgent. It is the Law, my Prince. You know it as well as I do. Love is forbidden between the children of the Moon and the children of the Earth," Kunzite declared, his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.  
_How could he have let this happen?_  
He placed himself in front of Endymion and faced Venus.  
"I must ask you both to leave immediately."  
How stern the look in his eyes. Venus felt anger fill her heart, like violent winds fill the sails of a boat.  
"And I must ask you to keep your Prince away from my Princess."  
"I will. And you cannot return."  
"We never shall."  
"No matter how difficult."  
"Yes."  
"No matter how painful."  
_Of whose pain did he speak?_  
"It must be so."  
"And you will tell Queen Serenity."  
"I most certainly will. It is my duty."  
_How could he address her like this?_  
_This man, this imaginary god of winds?_  
"Go now," he whispered.  
Behind him, Endymion gave an empty stare. Venus complied, dragging Serenity away, and leaving the Prince and his guardian behind.

The flower that had begun to bloom had been ripped out of the ground, and cast into the fire.


	2. Chapter Two: Méthi

**Note: In this story, the Earth Kingdom is not meant to be set 1,000 years ago within our actual historical timeline. I rather see it as a kind of mystical Golden Age, where all the art of our past was combined, and coexisted together. That is why, in Endymion's palace and its gardens, you will find elements ranging from antiquity and the medieval period, all the way up to the 18th century.**

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**Méthi**

_"For the towering gates that open lead not to freedom, but to the captivity of a mind that first discovers the notion of limits. The illuminated mind that can no longer be content with the space it was once confined to. So shall the soul be set alight by the unknown, and then yield to turmoil, should it be pushed back into its former ignorance. It shall crave that which it had not craved before, for it shall be doomed to a new yearning, and be plagued with a forming chasm. A void is not inherent; it is created, as darkness is formed by the dying light of the setting sun."_

I.

He sat alone in the palace solarium, staring into empty space.

His eyes had wandered off the pages of his book, and his thoughts had strayed. There was a growing heaviness in his heart; the waters of an ocean, slowly seeping into a sinking ship.

_Why this grief?_

The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air around him, and the voice of a goddess echoed through the galleries of his mind, like an incantation. How she had obscured his judgement. He saw her in the pavilion, sitting with her back turned towards him, and he felt the softness of her hair in his hands.

It had been many days since she had last been on Earth. He had falsely believed that she would soon fade from his thoughts. But each passing hour made the memory of her more vivid, afflicting him with a growing sense of loss.

And so Kunzite had fallen into a listless daze.

He held the book in his hands, as though he did not recognize the object for what it was. It slowly slipped out of his grasp as he reflected, and drifted further and further away from the shores of the material world.

When Prince Endymion stepped into the solarium, Kunzite barely noticed his master's presence.  
"There you are, Kunzite," Endymion said, walking towards him.  
Sensing that he had not been heard, he spoke again.  
"Kunzite."  
Startled, the guardian finally looked up at Endymion, who was now standing beside him.  
"Your Majesty. Forgive me, I was..."  
"It is you who should forgive me," Endymion replied, taking a seat at the table. "I did not mean to disturb. I see you are reading again."  
Kunzite immediately closed the book and put it down.  
"Nonsense. You never disturb me, my Prince. How may I serve you?"  
"What are you reading?"  
"Philosophy," he replied, distractedly tapping the leather cover with the tip of his fingers.  
"A noble subject," Endymion said. "One you've always favoured."  
"You were looking for me?"  
"Yes. I need to speak to you about something, Kunzite."

He studied Endymion's face. His eyes were veiled with a harrowing exhaustion, his features appeared stern. Black locks fell on his pale forehead, and his smile seemed forced. He had not been well. Kunzite knew, could see right through the mask of his Prince's feigned indifference as he carried on with his usual duties around the palace.

"Tell me," Kunzite said.  
"I wish to speak to you about Princess Serenity."  
Kunzite shook his head.  
"No, my Prince. It is best if we did not."  
"Listen to me. Give me the opportunity to explain myself to you."  
"There is nothing to explain," Kunzite said, gently pushing his book aside. "You have disobeyed the Law, and I am partly to blame. I do not wish to speak of this again."  
"We must, Kunzite."  
"My Prince, I have made a mistake. When I found out you had come into direct contact with Princess Serenity, I should have put an end to it immediately. Instead, I let things be, and even though I had come to suspect that you were in love with her, I waited. I wasn't sure, and then... Princess Serenity's head Guardian assured me that if there was any affection on your part, it was not reciprocated, for all Serenity wanted was to admire your gardens."  
_And he had believed her. Forced himself to believe her. _  
_For he had thought not only of his Prince, but also of himself._  
"In my lenience," he continued, "I thought it would do no harm to let her befriend you. I was weak and tolerant, when I should have been firm and unflinching."  
_Because of her._  
"But I do not intend to make the same mistake again," Kunzite concluded.  
"Kunzite, nothing you could have done could have prevented any of this."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I fell in love with her the very moment I saw her," Endymion declared. "And my mind was made up after I first kissed her. The guilt of a forbidden love... Gone. Chased away by the notion that she and I were meant to be together."  
"She is from the Moon, your Majesty," Kunzite coldly replied.  
"You think perhaps I have lost my senses. That I am blinded by what I feel for her. But it could not be further from the truth. I want you to know that I have made my choice. I know exactly what I am doing. And I am certain, Kunzite. I know in my heart that this is right. It must be so. There is a reason why Serenity and I were drawn to each other."  
_They were drawn to each other._  
"Your Majesty, I should have..."  
"No, Kunzite. You could not have prevented this. It isn't your fault. Do you not trust me? I know what I am doing."  
Kunzite upheld Endymion's somber gaze.  
"Prince Endymion, nothing good can come out of disobeying the Laws of this world."  
"Will you disobey_ me_, then? I want you to trust me, Kunzite. Do you trust me?"  
"I... I do, my Prince."  
"Then believe me when I tell you that I know what I am doing."  
"What is it that you expect of me, then?" Kunzite asked, shaken by Endymion's resolve.  
"I only wish you to accept it. Accept my love for Serenity, and have confidence in me. And if she should come back, do not send her away."  
"It is most likely that she may never return."  
"Yes. And I am prepared to wait for her until we are reunited. In this life, or the next."  
Kunzite considered him in silence.  
"If only you could understand me," Endymion said.  
_She was a burning candle in his heart._  
"I'm afraid that I can't," Kunzite lied.  
He rose, picking up his book.  
"Regardless of that, your Majesty," he began, questioning his own motives, "I will follow your wishes and do as you say."  
Endymion looked up at him with a peaceful smile. He exhaled.  
"Thank you."

Kunzite bowed politely, and then withdrew.

II.

The floor was cold as ice. Venus shivered. She sat with her back against a pillar in a hall of the Moon Castle, arms wrapped around her knees, waiting.

She knew that sooner or later, in the corridor to her right, she would hear the furtive sound of footsteps.  
Princess Serenity's.

Ever since the Queen had been informed of what had happened between Serenity and Endymion, the other Guardians had been summoned to stay on the Moon. They had been assigned separate watches so that they could ensure that their Princess could not return to Earth. Venus had taken on the most vigils, and the fatigue had begun to take a toll on her body.

Or perhaps there was something else that affected her.  
An oppression in her chest, and a longing in her throat.

She concentrated on the other end of the white hall, and saw a man standing at the edge of a stone terrace. She tried to think of the purple flowers of Endymion's gardens, but they only reminded her of the strange tint of Aeolus' eyes. She tried to recall the tapestries of Magellan, but the only one she could remember was the golden tapestry of deities, with its representation of the God of Winds.

Her soul cried out his name in every possible way, but she dared not invoke it, not even in a whisper, not even in thought. She missed the soothing tone of his voice, his quiet confidence, and the way his white hair floated in the breeze...

Suddenly, her thoughts were dispersed by the anticipated shuffling of feet.

Princess Serenity walked right passed her, arriving in the hall and heading for the Portal Room. Venus sprang to her feet and chased her, zigzagging between the white columns, until she finally reached her.

"Princess! I found you!" she shouted.  
Serenity turned around and stood at the foot of the column behind which she had been hiding.  
"Are you going out to see Prince Endymion again?" Venus continued, "You cannot go and get close to him on a whim, it's dangerous!"  
The Princess looked at her with despair in her eyes. She was pale as a ghost.  
"It isn't on a whim!"  
Venus took another step forward.  
"What do you know about it, Venus?" Serenity cried. "You've never fallen in love even once in your life! You have no idea how I feel!"  
_A grey cape and long white hair, stretched out in the wind._  
"You don't know anything," the Guardian uttered as Serenity slipped away.

A familiar voice called out for her, pulling Venus out of the thickening fog of her own thoughts.  
"Venus?"  
It was Mercury. She had come to begin her watch. The two Guardians retrieved Serenity together, and escorted her back to her bedroom. They stood by the closed door for a while, listened to her weep.  
"I'm worried," Venus said. "We watch over the Earth, and protect the Legendary Silver Crystal. She's going to be queen one day, and I know that if she falls in love, she will wind up getting hurt. Though I'm afraid she already has. I have failed her."  
"It isn't your fault, Venus. I think she was watching him from the Moon before she even met him in person."  
"I shouldn't have let her spend any time with him. I didn't know. I thought she just liked the Earth. It's so hard for me to be strict with her. To say no. Look at her now. I can't stand to see her this way anymore. I miss her smile, Mercury. She's not herself. She's always crying, always so agitated. She really does loves him."  
"She does."  
"She barely eats, she doesn't sleep. Her body feels so tired. Her thoughts are always caught in a storm..."  
_A storm weathered by the God of Winds._  
"I know," Mercury replied. "But we cannot let her see him anymore. Queen Serenity is counting on us."  
"Our poor Princess. I wish there was something we could do for her."  
Mercury gave Venus a reassuring smile.  
"Go and get some sleep, Venus. I'll take things from here."  
Venus nodded, and spent the rest of the night in reflection.

III.

She let the breathing of the sea guide her through the fading colours of descending night. The statues, the trees, and all the paths were disappearing in the gathering darkness. But the restless murmur of the waves kept her on track, and steadily brought her to the stone terrace that the evening had painted in blue.

Venus had left the Moon alone; a clandestine pilgrim escaping to the temples of the Earth. She had made up her mind. The suffering would end, and she would pay any price for it.

She found him there, just as she had hoped, at the edge of the terrace, watching the dark sea.

His hair caught the moonlight and gave silver reflections. For a moment she hesitated, wondering what his reaction to her presence might be. Yet it did not matter. She was there now, and would not turn back.

"I had a feeling you would be here," she said, joining him by the stone railing.  
He did not turn to face her, but instead kept his eyes fixed on the waters before him.  
"And I had a feeling you would come looking for me here," he calmly replied. "You shouldn't be here alone."  
"I wish to speak to you."  
Kunzite finally dared to look at her, at the curved outline the light of the rising Moon had traced on her cheek. Her right eye shimmered, while the rest of her face was hidden under a delicate veil of shadow.  
"Tell me," he replied, his voice faint.  
"My Princess is unwell."  
He nodded, inviting her to continue.  
"Separating her from Endymion has broken her spirit. She cannot seem to recover. Each new day is like a torment to her. I see her drifting further and further away from me, from the world all around her. Like she's retreating within herself."  
Venus paused, briefly closing her eyes.  
"She... She longs to see him again, because he has left a void in her heart. And no matter what she does, nothing else can fill it. Nothing, but him. She is exhausted. In body, in soul... She...has her duties, and tries to forget, to forget what she felt, but everything reminds her of him. She knows it should not be, that she should stay away, that it's a mistake, but... But she can't do without him. She needs to see more of him. She needs to walk through these gardens with him again, as she once did. Because she has never felt this way about anyone before."  
_Never met the God of Winds before._  
Kunzite listened intently. Venus spoke until she was out of breath, then became silent.  
"My Prince has been feeling the same way," Kunzite began. "He is distracted, detached. She has touched his soul as he did not expect it to. He was caught off-guard. But she is burning within him, consuming his thoughts. And he cannot prevent it now."  
_Of whom did he speak?_  
They both held still, as though they were surrounded by invisible glass.  
_Do not shatter this fragile clarity._  
"We must do something, it cannot continue this way," Venus finally said.  
"My Prince has requested that I accept his love for Serenity. I myself cannot say that I approve of the match, but I have never seen Endymion like this. So determined, so sure. It seems he has made his choice. With a clear head. You see, I thought perhaps his sentiments had clouded his mind, but... He tells me that he is certain they are meant for each other."  
"Perhaps they are."  
"I don't know. It doesn't seem right to me. But I promised to obey him, to respect his wishes. He said that if Serenity should come here again, I am not to send her away."  
"The Queen has forbidden her to return. She believes their love can only end in tragedy. Yet, in her present state, the Princess is as tragically lost as she will ever be. There is no life in her eyes, do you understand? I cannot allow it. I must do something. Even if it means disobeying the Queen."  
_She was the incarnation of the Goddess of Love, and served her own master._  
"By doing what?"  
"By letting her come here. The other Guardians and I watch her in turns. When my night watch comes, I mean to accompany her to Earth. Once a day. She is to stay with Endymion until my watch is over. Then, I will take her back to the Moon. I must escort her, for she cannot be trusted to return on time. I will be here for her, guard her. I know this is madness, but... I fear far more what will happen to her if she continues down this path of sorrow."  
"What of the other Guardians?"  
"They cannot be convinced to disobey the Queen, so I will do it all without their knowledge."  
_They had no idea how she felt._  
"And I need your help, Kunzite," Venus continued. "We must protect them when they are together. And make sure nobody else finds out. Not yet, anyway."  
"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we should let them see each other. If their love is not what my Prince thinks it is, then the flame will die and all will return to normal. But if it truly is meant to exist, then..."  
"Then no one can stop it."  
"Precisely."  
"I will bring Serenity at midday on Earth, in the spiral garden, and stay here with her for exactly three hours, at the end of which she and I will have to return to the Moon before Mercury starts her round."  
"Understood."  
"Have you told the other Heavenly Kings about Serenity and Endymion?"  
"Yes. But I will withhold our agreement from them. I will make sure they are not around at the convened time. Though it pains me to hide things from my own men."  
_They could not know._  
"As it does me, to deceive my fellow Guardians."

He took a step forward, drawing closer to Venus.  
"It will be our secret, then," he said, searching her eyes.  
"Yes," Venus whispered.  
The proximity made her lose her focus. Lose all sense of where she was, or why. The sky merged with the land, and the sea disappeared, as though she had floated off into deep space. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her face, and smell the amber scent of his skin. He was too close to her. So close, that she thought for a moment he meant to kiss her.  
But he pulled away.  
"I will see you soon, then, Princess."  
And Aeolus turned to leave.

IV.

The pointer on the bronze sundial cast its shadow onto the middle of the engraved plate, indicating that it was noon.

Kunzite stood next to Endymion, whom he had brought to the spiral garden. The words inscribed at the bottom of the nearby sundial lingered on in the guardian's mind.

_The passing of time is the prelude to eternity_

Not knowing why Kunzite had brought him there, Endymion gave an inquisitive look.  
"What exactly are we waiting for, Kunzite?" he asked, folding his arms. "You said to follow you here, and I did. What now?"  
"Patience, your Majesty."  
"I have all the patience in the world, but I cannot understand why you are being so mysterious. Was there something you wanted to talk to me about? Has Nephrite provoked someone to a duel again?"  
"No."  
"Then what is this about?" Endymion said, smiling sadly.

There was no need for Kunzite to reply. They were interrupted by the sight of two visitors coming down the stairs before them. One of them wore a delicate white dress...

"Serenity," Endymion breathed, walking towards her, while the Princess rushed to meet him.  
Kunzite watched the reunited lovers embrace, but his gaze soon fell upon Venus. Upon her golden hair in the sunlight, and her otherworldly countenance. He waited, hesitating, wanting to join her, but preferring to stay where he was. Endymion turned towards him, thanking him a thousand times. Venus then addressed the Prince.  
"We cannot stay for very long, your Majesty. In three hours, I will take Serenity back to the Moon," she explained.  
Endymion grew serious, and nodded.  
"You may spend time together freely. As for me, I will be at hand, in the gardens," Venus continued.  
"So will I," Kunzite said, bowing.  
"We must ensure that Serenity returns home on time," Venus added, glancing over at Kunzite.  
"Understood," Endymion said.  
He touched Serenity's cheek and pushed back a lock of her hair.  
"You have brought joy back into my life."  
Already, he and the Princess had entered a different realm. Taking her by the hand, he lead her out of the spiral garden, leaving their guardians behind.

Once they were alone, Venus and Kunzite faced each other for a moment, neither of them quite yet ready to approach the other. Venus examined Kunzite's posture; the way he kept his right hand close to his sword, his left leg forward and slightly bent, and his head up high. His heavy cape draped from his shoulders, reaching straight for the ground, though gusts of wind occasionally made it rise and ripple.

"They seem so happy to be together again," Venus said, blushing slightly.  
"Yes. I believe they are."  
"Are... We going to just stand here, or can we... walk?"  
She chuckled, and he smiled.  
"We can walk," he said, inviting her to follow him. "I assume you've never taken the path of the Red Bridge before. It goes over a small lake in the Southern part of the gardens. Perhaps you would like to see it."  
"I would love to."  
As they made their way towards the bridge, they hardly spoke. Venus wondered what it was about Kunzite that made her so mute, she who always had too many things to say, so she decided to start a conversation.  
"So... Why don't you tell me about one of your adventures at sea? I'm sure you've had plenty. Any particular exploits you would like to share with me?"  
He placed his hands behind his back.  
"I'm afraid I must disappoint you."  
"What do you mean?"  
"To be sure, I've met many interesting people and visited fascinating places during my voyages. But life at sea is not nearly as thrilling as people usually imagine it to be. Most of it is spent in utter quiet. When the storms have passed and the ocean is calm, there is only silence. It's what I've always preferred. What I loved most about sailing. You are surrounded by water, and by the whispers of the wind. Above you, only the sky, and the burning eye of the sun. A kind of peace that can feel oppressive to some, I suppose. Many men dread such quiet, because it forces them to be alone with their own thoughts. At sea, there is a great feeling of loneliness. Like your ship could drift on and on, and never see the land again. In a way, sailing is isolation. But it is also contemplation."  
Venus took in Kunzite's answer.  
"That is more interesting than any adventure," she said after a moment. "Please go on."  
"Do you know what other delight sailing can bring you?"  
"Tell me."  
"Being on the ocean lets you see the land differently. When you observe it from afar, all its beauty is concentrated. You see it all at once. When you've set foot upon it, each individual element touches you. But when you admire it from a ship, all its magnificence hits you at once. As it does when you see the land from a mountain, or from the sky."  
"It's how I feel about my planet when I watch it from Magellan."  
"Your palace."  
"What about you, Kunzite? You are a King of Heaven. I wonder... Do you not also have a palace of your own?"  
"I do," he replied. "_Aram._ That is where I was born. Suspended between the Heavens and the Earth."  
"Where is it?"  
"Above the region under my special protection. The Middle East. But I am really meant to serve the Prince of the Earth Kingdom. You see, the other Heavenly Kings and I, we are of the race of men, but also, of the old race of angels. That is why, even as Kings, we have no claim on the Earth Kingdom, but simply govern the skies above it."  
_A man, an angel, a God of Winds._  
"While you govern the Planet of Venus, as the incarnation of the Goddess of Love and Beauty," he added.  
Venus blushed again.  
"There," she said, trying to hide it. "I think I see the bridge up ahead."  
"You're right."

They stopped at the middle of the bridge to have a look at the lake.  
"Prince Endymion had the Red Bridge built only a few years ago," Kunzite explained. "It was a suggestion of Jedeite's. He recommended a very talented builder from the Far East."  
"It's really beautiful. Everything is beautiful in Endymion's gardens."  
Kunzite stared at Venus, in a manner more direct than usual.  
"Yes. Everything. But there is one individual element of the gardens that I find even fairer than their entirety. And I do not need to be on the ocean for all its beauty to hit me at once."  
She suddenly lost her breath and her chest tightened. Smiling, Kunzite looked away. He noticed that the slant and shape of shadows around them had changed. The afternoon had begun to set in.  
"I think we should continue walking. Once we reach the end of this trail, we should return to the spiral garden. Their time is almost up."  
_The passing of time is the prelude to eternity_  
"Yes, indeed. I didn't even realize... We have to be careful not to run late."  
"Come," he said, and together, they crossed over to the other side of the Red Bridge.

V.

He showed her the light violet crystal encrusted on the blade of his sword. Its facets reflected the rays of the midday sun, and illuminated Venus' skin like stars spread out across her face.

They had stopped in the garden of begonias, where a sweet, humid, spicy smell had filled their lungs. Serenity and Endymion had wandered off as usual, and their guardians had once again been walking together through the gardens of the palace.

"This is my birthstone," Kunzite explained. "Whose name I bear."  
"How clear it is."  
"It is called the Stone of Emotion, because it opens the heart and connects it to the mind. And it creates a healing communion between the two."  
She touched it with her fingers, felt its cool surface.  
"A very powerful stone, then."  
"The Men of Old used it for something quite particular."  
"What was that?"  
Sliding his sword back into its sheath, Kunzite inclined his head and gave a quiet smile.  
"They would use it as a devotional stone, and honour the Goddess of Love with it. Some called her Aphrodite, others, Venus."  
Venus blinked, her heart omitting a beat.  
_Could it be?_  
"Do you not find it strange how so many of our ancient legends and beliefs refer to you, and your people?" Kunzite continued.  
"Our planets are closer in spirit than we think," Venus replied, and trailed away as though to conceal her thoughts.  
He followed her.  
"My Princess is so happy when I bring her here," she said, looking around, hoping to discover new points of interest.  
"So is my Prince."  
"Back home, she seems to have made progress. She attends to her duties, but truly comes alive in these gardens."  
"You must be fond of them too."  
"I am. The flowers, the statues, the interminable paths..."  
She glanced up at him.  
"But I also enjoy the company."  
Kunzite looked back at her with solemn eyes.  
"You flatter me."  
Grinning, Venus spun around, arms stretched out to absorb the warmth of the sun.

A few minutes later, she became intrigued by a feature of the garden she had not seen before. It was an impeccable bush, with an opening at its center.

"What is that?" she asked Kunzite, halting.  
"This," he replied, "is the hedge maze. One of Zoisite's contributions to the garden."  
"You mean, it's a real maze?"  
"Yes. This one is octagonal in shape."  
"Its walls are so high. Is there something at the center?"  
"Well -"  
"No, wait, don't tell me!" she cried. "How about letting me find out? Unless of course we risk getting lost in there."  
"Unlikely. This maze isn't a complex one. Fifteen minutes suffice in solving it. It has only a few dead ends."  
"Then what are we waiting for?"  
Venus hurried towards the entrance, begging Kunzite to follow her lead.  
"Please! Come with me."  
Her enthusiasm amused him. He had no choice but to accept.  
"I have a great sense of direction," Venus boasted as she stepped inside. "I will guide the both of us."

They took a first turn to their left, then another to their right. The walls surrounding them were fragrant and green. With her hand, Venus brushed them in passing as she walked ahead, faster and faster, while Kunzite shadowed her footsteps. And before long, he began chasing her.

Her laughter echoed through the maze as she sped ahead, dancing, spinning, stumbling on. Kunzite was swift in his pursuit, as though the wind were pushing him forward, like a ship wanting to reach the land. And yet, she endlessly eluded him.

_The God of Winds, enticed by the Goddess of Love._

Each dead end was an occasion for Venus to escape Kunzite. She would lead him astray, and then call out for him, bringing him back upon the right path. He would whisper her name through the bushes, stalking forward, and pretend that he was drawing near.

They ran, and ran, and teased each other, losing themselves not in the puzzle of paths, but within the structure of their own communion. It was a dance, the sequence of steps of a graceful ritual. Their game drew to end only when Venus finally discovered the center of the maze. There, she saw a small temple with grey stone pillars, and a steel dome that reminded her of black lace.

"That's _it?_" she asked, hand on waist, as Kunzite arrived behind her.  
"You didn't let me finish my sentence. I would have told you that there isn't much to look at in the center of this maze."  
"No, it's... It's pretty," she said, walking towards the temple. "Just not what I expected."  
"What did you expect?"  
"Oh, I don't know... A fountain of gold?"  
She stepped onto the platform, to stand under the intricate dome. The shade was pleasant and refreshing, and she studied the steel motifs above her.  
Kunzite joined Venus, stood right in front of her. He was close, as the space of the temple was limited.  
"I am quite content with what I've found at the center of this maze," he said, securing her gaze.  
"I think this temple's more special now that you're in it," she replied, staring straight into his pale eyes.

She soon felt his warm hand on the side of her neck, with his thumb barely touching her cheek. He began to pull her towards him, softly, carefully, as though he were about to drink from a cup of precious wine, and she reveled in the exquisite way in which he beckoned her.  
_He was an offering, and she, his Goddess. _  
_His soul ached for her._  
No longer hesitant, Kunzite leaned forward, and pressed his lips to hers.

Venus wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, kissing him back. They remained locked in their tight embrace, as the summer breeze rushed passed them between the pillars of the small temple.

Release.  
When they drew apart, they did not say a word. For a moment, they stared at each other, in awe of what they had done. Their kiss still burned on their lips, like an undying flame.

Kunzite held out his hand to Venus, and she placed hers within it.

They did not know where this love would lead them. But they knew it would be a path they would have to keep following.  
Because wherever it took them, their fates had been irredeemably bound.

VI.

They waited in silence as their masters greeted each other in the spiral garden.

Venus was worried. She gave a stealthy look at Kunzite, who was watching Endymion. Suddenly, her eyes met his, and clung to his face until the Prince and Princess were gone.

She would have rushed into arms, but she was afraid, unsure of his reaction. It had only been a day since their visit to the maze, and she wondered how they would treat each other, now that there was a new secret between them.

Kunzite walked over to her, a cool, confident smile on his lips.  
_The lips she had kissed._  
_Their touch that still haunted her._  
"I would like to watch the sea with you," he said, offering her his hand once again.  
Relieved, she accepted it, and let him take her to the white stone terrace. On their way there, they passed under a gate that was covered in Indian clock vine. Yellow and red pendent flowers hung from the arch, like chandeliers. Venus admired them as she followed Kunzite through the gate, captivated by their perfect shape and long stem.

"Those flowers look exactly like chandeliers," she said.  
"Or perhaps it is the chandeliers that seek to imitate the splendour of these flowers," he replied.  
"That's an interesting thought. Look at how straight the stems are."  
"Perfection is all around us, Venus," Kunzite continued. "Through our aesthetics, we merely seek to express it."  
"But what about the pattern on the wings of a butterfly, for example? If you look closely, they aren't quite symmetrical."  
"Yet they are perfect. Perfect in their intended symmetry. Even though one wing looks slightly different from the other, it does not matter. You look at it, and it communicates the concept of symmetry to you. The world is perfect, even in its imperfection."  
"The essence of beauty," Venus added.  
She smiled, and held onto Kunzite's arm a little tighter.

Above the terrace, the sky was clear, like a bright shroud suspended far over the waters. At the limits of the sea, the straight, crisp line of the horizon separated the shade of blue of the sea from that of the heavens, as in a painting. Seagulls glided through the air, their distant cries combining with the sound of rolling waves.

Venus approached the railing, tempted for a moment to tell Kunzite that it was where she had first seen him. But she preferred to keep it to herself; a sacred memory under lock and key.

He stood next to her for a while, and they observed the sea together. Venus imagined him at the helm of a ship, facing the winds with no fear in his heart. Summoning them, redirecting them, making them bend to his will.  
"Kunzite?" she asked after a moment of reflection.  
"Yes?" he answered, without taking his eyes off the waters.  
"If you had a ship, where would you sail us to?"  
He turned towards her.  
"To the very middle of the ocean, where I could better contemplate you."  
Cheeks flushed, she gave him an earnest smile.  
"You say such beautiful things."  
"I mean everything I say."  
"I know. You don't speak much, but when you do, you...You make it count. It's like you make sure each word you choose is the best word that can express what you wish it to express."  
"Often, words do not suffice. They cannot truly reveal what lies within."  
"You are so wise. I could listen to you speak all day."  
"Then it would be a very dull day. I am monotonous and overly reserved. You, however, bring life into every new hour. I admire the spark of your spirit."  
He pushed back Venus' hair behind her ear, and she faced him.  
_He stood no chance against the Goddess of Love and Beauty._  
_How she had entangled him in her elegant nets._  
Kunzite grasped her by the waist, and she placed her arms around his neck. Pressing her against him, he kissed her slowly, repeatedly, drawing in the occasional breath, never quite ready to let her go. Venus stroked his arms and felt his fingers trailing delicately on her back. Overwhelmed, she cradled her face in his chest and Kunzite kissed her head.  
"I've never felt this before. You make my spirit tremble. Like it has reached the heights it has always aspired to," Venus said.  
"Then we stand at the same altitude."  
Holding him tightly, she concentrated on the warmth of his body.  
"Earlier, when Serenity and I arrived, I was afraid that maybe you'd changed your mind. That... That you regretted..."  
She risked a glance, and Kunzite looked into her eyes.  
"I only regret the time I have spent without you."  
Venus pulled on the fabric of his white tunic, and this time, it was she who kissed him first.

They had tasted adoration, and savoured its vertiginous delights. From then on, the notion of hours, minutes and seconds steadily began to wither from their inebriated minds. The days passed like weightless ships along the shore, while their souls drifted deeper and deeper into the world they had created for themselves.

VII.

She lead him through the citrus garden, passed its tallest lime tree, and he followed her without resistance.  
Surrendering completely.  
Venus turned towards him, inviting him to keep up.  
"Come to me," she said, then paced ahead to tease him.  
"Where are you taking me?" he asked, secretly picking a mandarin from a nearby tree.  
"You'll find out soon enough."  
_Oh, it did not matter where they went._  
_As long as he was near her._

They arrived at the small lake of the Red Bridge that Kunzite had once showed to Venus. On the left side of the bank stood a single, large willow. Its branches touched the water below and swayed, like long hair that undulated in the breeze.

"I noticed that tree from afar when you first took me to the Bridge," Venus explained. "I thought about how I would like to stand under it. And be surrounded by that green curtain."  
Kunzite smiled, letting her run straight towards it. Once she was inside the realm of the tree, he could barely see her. He approached the curtain and pushed part of it aside with his arm, entering as well.  
"Isn't it impressive?" she said, eyes riveted upon the twisted trunk.  
"It is."  
"Did you know that this is also called the tree of the Moon?"  
"I did not," he replied.  
"Serenity told me."  
He stepped forward to stand behind her, one hand behind his back.  
"I have something for you."  
"What is it?" she answered, turning around, full of curiosity.  
Bowing slightly, Kunzite handed her the mandarin he had picked. Venus took it, blushing, laughing, and hurried into his arms.

Together, they sat at the foot of the tree. Legs crossed, Venus rested with her back against Kunzite's chest. Her face touched his right shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her to keep her close. They remained there for a long time, listening to the peaceful rustle of leaves above and around them. When Venus remembered the mandarin, she slowly began to peel it, releasing its zesty scent into the air. Kunzite shut his eyes, an image forming in his mind.  
"The smell of mandarins reminds me of a voyage I once made," he said.  
"Where to?"  
"We had stopped in a village, along the coast of the Arabian Sea. They sold mandarins in the harbour. I remember how nobody there knew who we were. We just walked passed the stands, and they shouted out at us, urging us to buy their mandarins. And we did, quite a few. Much of my crew began eating them on the spot, and the harbour was filled with their fine smell."  
"The villagers didn't know you were one of the four Heavenly Kings?"  
"No. At any rate, few would have believed it. In fact, one man even challenged me. I was exploring the town, and met face to face with him on a narrow street. The beast he held on a leash stopped me dead in my tracks."  
"What was it?"  
"A tiger. Its yellow eyes peered at me, forbidding me to pass. I was accompanied by a few of my men, and they immediately pulled out their daggers, wanting to protect me. They told him I was Kunzite, the Heavenly King who watched over the Middle East. But the old man with the tiger didn't move. He just stared, and then..."  
"He spoke to you?" Venus asked, intrigued.  
"Yes. He told me that if I really was a King, I would dare to touch the tiger's head. If the animal recognized my birthright, it would not harm me. And the old man would tell me of a hidden truth."  
"What did you do?"  
"I was intrigued. More intrigued by what he wanted to tell me than interested in proving myself to him. My men thought his challenge ridiculous, mad. They exhorted me not to accept. There was no guarantee that the tiger wouldn't attack me, even though I truly was a King. But there was little they could say to convince me. I drew nearer - how they cried after me! - and stretched out my hand. People had gathered at the windows, on the street, holding their breaths. I just looked into the tiger's eyes, and soon, I stroked the fur on its head."  
"What courage you had."  
"It depends what you mean by the term. I am no hero, Venus. An ancient philosopher once said that fear is the opposite of faith, and faith, the opposite of fear. Courage is not risking your life and accomplishing great deeds. We often think of it as the virtue of a warrior, but I think courage lies beyond the sword. It is a strength of the heart, a matter of will and inner struggle. It is choosing faith over fear. I chose to trust the hands of fate. It wasn't my fear of the tiger that I chose to fight, but my own doubts about who I truly was. About what my real duties were."  
Kunzite fell silent as Venus considered his words.  
"Will you always choose faith over fear?" she asked him in a whisper.  
"I cannot promise you that," he said. "I hope that I will be strong enough."  
"What of love?"  
She sat up straight, turning to meet his gaze. Kunzite stroked her cheekbone, her ear, the back of her neck. The lightness of his touch made her tingle. He brought his mouth close to hers and kissed it, holding her face with both his hands. This time, it was she who surrendered, giving in to his quiet resolve.

As he drew away, Kunzite slowly opened his eyes. There was an odd flicker in them.  
"I... have lost track of time," he said.  
Venus stared at him, biting her lip, burning with the desire to kiss him again, but ridden with guilt.  
"So have I," she replied.  
"The shade of the tree has kept me from watching the sunlight."  
"I think we've kept _each other_ from it."  
"You are right."  
How late were they? How many hours had they spent together in the gardens? How far was the hour of arrival, and how close, the hour of departure? Had it already _passed?_  
They rose to their feet, and headed straight for the spiral garden.

Serenity and Endymion had been expecting them, wondering why it was that their guardians, always so punctual, had not yet come to find them. They scarcely would have minded, if not for the Princess' obligation to return to the Moon on time.  
As she rushed down the stairs to meet Serenity, Venus' face was still flushed from the way Kunzite had kissed her. Kunzite, who had slowed down, trailed behind her. He then bowed to Endymion and placed himself right next to him.  
"Where were you, Venus?" Serenity cried. "Endymion and I thought that maybe you were lost?"  
"I am so sorry, Princess. I... I didn't see the time pass... I... Let's go home, now. How late are we?"  
"Almost half an hour."  
"Oh no!" Venus exclaimed. "Quickly!"  
She seized Serenity's arm and hurried away with her.  
"Goodbye, your Majesty! Do forgive us!" she shouted, dashing out of the garden.

Endymion observed Kunzite, who had not yet taken his eyes off the direction in which Venus had disappeared. He noticed the softness in his eyes, a sort of tenderness he had not seen in them before.  
"Kunzite?"  
He barely snapped out of his daze.  
"Yes, your Majesty?"  
"You are in love with her, aren't you?"  
Kunzite turned his head towards him, the wind tousling his hair.  
"My Prince, I..."  
"I know you are, Kunzite" Endymion said, smiling kindly. "And I am happy for you."  
Kunzite did not respond to that. He knew Endymion was perceptive, but his question had come unexpectedly, and he was unsure as to how to react. Unsure as to how he felt about him _knowing._  
"I hope Princess Serenity won't get into trouble," he said instead.  
"I know I will see her again," Endymion declared, before returning into the palace.

VIII.

Mercury sat on the edge of Serenity's bed, arms folded.

From the end of the corridor, Venus could see that the door was open, which, to her, was a bad omen. As she entered the bedroom with Serenity, her eyes met her fellow Guardian's.

"What is going on, Venus?" Mercury asked.  
"Please, don't blame her!" Serenity cried, rushing to kneel next to her.  
She grabbed her hands, held them tightly in hers.  
"Venus has been helping me, Mercury. She... She saw how unhappy I was, and decided to let me see Endymion. And I will forever be grateful to her. I don't care what the rules are. You cannot imagine what seeing him means to me. She took pity on me, Mercury."  
"This is wrong. We cannot - I won't allow this. I have already woken up the others. They are looking for you all over the Moon Castle. But I suspected you were not here..."  
"Mercury, I had to help Serenity," Venus intervened.  
"Why? Do you not think we also suffered to see her so heartbroken? But we did what we were asked to do. Why would you make an exception? You, who are our leader?"  
"I..."  
"Why, Venus?"  
"Because _I_ know what it feels like to be separated from the one you love!" Venus suddenly cried, her voice resonating through the room.  
Rising, then falling into silence.  
"Venus...?"  
"There is no greater pain, nothing more destructive for the soul. I could not allow Serenity to go through it, and _I_ could not endure it, either. To be consumed by longing is to_ die._"  
Mercury and Serenity stared at Venus, in total shock.  
"So it is," said an ethereal voice behind them.

Queen Serenity stepped into the room with the other Guardians. Her tremendously long, silver hair gathered on the floor and shimmered from the Inner Moonlight radiating all around the Castle.  
At the sight of her, Venus and Mercury immediately kneeled.  
"Your Majesty," Venus breathed.  
"So you have brought my daughter home safely," she said.  
"I... I have disobeyed you."  
"You have. You allowed Serenity to fall even deeper in love with Endymion, and let her trespass against the Law. All this, against my orders."  
"I acted in what I believed her best interest to be. But also, for my own, selfish reasons. I don't deserve to be her Guardian anymore," Venus said, her voice breaking. "Only please, understand. I had to. I knew exactly how she felt. How she was dying inside... But I hid it all from you, and for that, I am sorry."  
"Dear child. Did you think I did not know?"  
All gasped, taken aback by this revelation.  
"Venus, you are the leader of the Guardians, and not so in vain. You are guided by the spirit of Love, you, the incarnation of the Goddess of Love and Beauty. And the heart is what connects Serenity to the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal. What you have done for her is the only thing there was to do. Sometimes, to follow rules is not enough to accomplish your true duties. And it is not your fault if my daughter has fallen for the Prince of Earth."  
"But I allowed her to see him."  
"Serenity and Endymion fell in love the very moment they laid eyes on each other, because I believe their bond is meant to transcend time. I did not want to accept it at first, for it brought me grief to know that I would lose her. But I have watched my daughter attentively. When she was separated from the Prince, I was torn apart by her suffering and wished it to stop, just as you did. So I allowed you to take her back to him. I have seen it all unfold, from the Moon. I did not stop you, because I understood that there was nothing else to do."  
She paused to glance at her daughter, then continued.  
"However, this love is doomed to tragedy, because it goes against the Laws of this world. But to sever the bond between Serenity and Endymion would be the cause of equal pain. Of equal tragedy. That is why, I have decided that you will return to Earth with her. All of you. Let them be together in this lifetime, for as long as they can. A minute of true happiness is more precious than a thousand years of misery. Let them feel this joy, to see it one day renewed. You will guard both of them, and keep them safe for as long as you can. That is my wish."  
"We will do as you say," Mars said, walking over to stand alongside Venus.  
"Count me in," Jupiter said, doing the same.  
Mercury placed a hand on Venus' shoulder.  
"Together, _all together_, we will protect Serenity and Endymion."

Queen Serenity answered with a sorrowful smile, for she knew what lied ahead.  
_She could sense it in her soul._

IX.

Above, a white sky veiled the bleak sun hanging over Endymion's gardens.

The Heavenly Kings had been summoned to the spiral garden, where they found their master with the Princesss of the Moon and her Guardians. Kunzite had informed the three other Kings of what had passed between Endymion and Serenity, and of their new agreement. They had expressed some concern about the matter, but Kunzite had convinced them to follow his lead and obey Endymion. He had not told them about Venus. Part of him was still ashamed at having hidden things from his own men.

And yet, the Heavenly Kings read their leader's heart as soon as they saw how he reacted to the presence of Serenity's head Guardian.

It was no grand gesture. A mere hint, visible only in the gentle way in which he pressed his hand against the base of his throat and bowed to her, keeping his eyes fastened to hers, like a sailor holds onto the mast of his ship when the waves come.

"These are Princess Serenity's Guardians," Edymion began. "And the Princesses of their respective planets."  
"_Princesses?_" Jedeite blurted, mortified by the thought of all the complaints he had made about Mars.  
Mars glared at him while the Prince ignored him and continued, introducing each of them. Then, he introduced the Kings. When he was done, Serenity could no longer wait and took his hand, inciting him to leave with her. She wanted them to sit by the fountain together. Endymion encouraged everyone to get to know each other - for they now had to work together - and retreated.

There was a rather awkward interval during which nobody spoke. The Kings examined the Guardians, and the Guardians examined the Kings. Venus and Kunzite simply stared at each other, as though they were alone. Tired of waiting for someone to find something useful to say, Zoisite took an eager step forward. He was young and radiant, and his wavy hair was carefully tied back.  
"So, we meet again, Princess Mercury. I must thank you once more for the hospitality you showed me when I visited your planet."  
Mercury blushed anxiously.  
"Y-Yes. It's good to see you again, Zoisite."  
"The pleasure is all mine. I hope you have learned to be a little more... expansive?"  
He addressed the others.  
"You see, I remarked to her that she was much too shy, she who has such a brilliant mind. She is like a caged bird, is she not?"  
The other Kings sighed, knowing Zoisite would never change his uninhibited, forthcoming ways.  
"Come, let us leave this dreary spot," he said, offering Mercury his arm. "I am bored."  
In her panic, Mercury accidentally accepted, and left with him.

Meanwhile, Nephrite had already singled out Jupiter as the most interesting person of the group. He approached her confidently, with his dark, thick mane and great stature, and tried to kiss her hand.  
But Jupiter didn't understand what he wanted to do, and instinctively fell back into a fighting stance. When he insisted, she grabbed him by the collar and spun him around, throwing him to the ground.  
"Nice to meet you, too," Nephrite declared, looking up at the clouds with a pragmatic grin.  
"I am so sorry!" she cried, realizing that he had meant no harm.  
She rushed to help him while the others laughed. Once he was on his feet again, she noticed just how tall he was. It was not often that she met someone who didn't make her feel like a giant.  
Not one to renounce so easily, Nephrite took her hand and brought it to his lips. It made her heart race.  
"Do not worry about it. It was an honour to be thus tossed by the mighty Princess of Jupiter. The legends hardly do you any justice. But if you will permit me, I would suggest tilting your elbows this way so as to ensure that your target falls flat on his face, instead of his back."  
He mimicked what he meant, and Jupiter folded her arms.  
"Oh really?"  
"Absolutely."  
His voice was deep and raspy. It reminded her of rumbling thunder.  
"At any rate, I am actually more of a swordsman, myself. And I happen to be the finest one of my group. Though of course my leader over there is very skilled as well, and I have little to reproach him, save perhaps a lack of zeal in battle."  
Jupiter chuckled.  
"Judging by its ornate hilt, your sword looks beautiful," she said.  
This remark compelled Nephrite to instantly pull the blade out of its sheath.  
"Why thank you. You can have a closer look at it, if you wish. The hilt is made of oak, and the blade, of damascus steel."  
He presented it to her.  
"This," Jupiter said, studying all its intricate carvings, "is the most amazing sword I have ever seen."  
"Thank you."  
Nephrite cleared his throat.  
"I forged it myself," he proudly informed her. "I sketched it on paper, then proceeded to make it."  
"So you are also a swordsmith."  
"I like to refer to myself as a weapons artisan. Swords, sabers, daggers, knives, _shields_... I can make just about anything. The Palace armoury is filled with my work. I've made the swords of my fellow Heavenly Kings, and Endymion's as well."  
"Could I see the armoury?" Jupiter asked him excitedly.  
"Sure. Why not?"  
The two of them said goodbye to the others, and wandered off.

Now, Jedeite had no choice but to speak to Mars.  
"Princess," he said, bowing politely before her. "I am -"  
"Look, I'm sorry I shouted at you the last time I was here," she said, cutting him off.  
"You were only trying to protect your Princess, I suppose."  
"I was."  
Mars analyzed him in detail. His short blonde hair hung partly over his left eye, and the shape of his face was pleasing. It bothered her how handsome he was.  
"Endymion said you are the more spiritual one. That you know magic?"  
"A little," he replied.  
Her black hair fascinated him. It was a dark as the feathers of a crow.  
"I see. Is there a temple around here?" Mars inquired.  
"Yes. Where I spend most of my time."  
"Ah."  
"Well, I'm going there now. I wish to recite a special prayer for the safety of Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity."  
"That sounds like a good idea."  
"You can join me, if you want. But know that afterwards, I mean to practice."  
"Practice what?"  
"My _erhu_. I must play it for at least two hours a day. You can listen if you want."  
"What kind of instrument is that?"  
He put his hands behind his back, inclining his head.  
"Why don't you come with me, and see for yourself?"  
"Fine. But I'm no specialist in music," Mars replied, shrugging and following his lead.

Venus and Kunzite were glad the others had gone. It allowed them to finally draw closer to each other. Venus wrapped her arms around his waist, and breathed in his scent. Kunzite held her, smiling. She lifted her head up to better see him.  
"The sky is the same colour as your hair today," Venus said, blushing.  
She remembered their kiss under the Moon tree, their unfinished conversation.  
"You never told me what the hidden truth was."  
"Which one?" he asked.  
"The one the old man shared with you after you touched the tiger's head."  
Kunzite leaned forward, and whispered something in her ear. Then, he kissed her tenderly on the lips, and held out his hand to her.  
"Take a turn with me through the gardens."

X.

Thus began a period of happiness between the Silver Millennium and the Earth Kingdom. A time of peace whose scattered fragments would one day resurface through the ocean of time, and into the minds of ancient lovers.

But it would not last.  
For in the shrieking fires of the Sun, a Shadow stirred.


	3. Chapter Three: Agonía

**Agonía**

I.

On a slow, rising wave, the vessel soared.

Unhurriedly it rode the arched water, ascending in prolonged motion. And for a moment, it almost stood still. A cloud of mist surrounded Kunzite, each droplet perfectly distinguishable from the other, and hanging interminably in the air around him as he fell back.

He slid along the wooden deck above the captain's cabin, and was slammed against the back rail as time accelerated, then slowed down again.

When the ship dropped, the sluggish fury of the ocean hit the bow. Water came rushing in while Kunzite held his breath, and shielded his face with his arm. Above, the churning clouds growled. They were blackened with malice. Violent winds picked up, and the ship rose once more, this time leaving the ocean, and floating off into the colourless sky.

It remained thus suspended in its course, advancing almost imperceptibly as drops of water adorned the air around it, like glass jewels.

Kunzite was now on his feet, hands gripped tightly around a rig rope. The inclination of the ship pulled him down, threatened to tear him from it. He glanced up at the mainsail, and saw it rip in two. But when he looked at it again, it was whole. The world appeared blurred at its edges, as though he saw it through a damaged telescope.

In his despair, the King cried out to Poseidon:  
_"Why this punishment?"_

The answer came in his own head, in Kunzite's own voice.  
_This storm is your creation_  
_You who have summoned the winds_  
_from the East and the West_  
_and from Africa_  
_Released them from their caverns_  
_for the merciless Juno_  
_To drown the Trojans_  
_sailing the Thyrrenian Sea_

A golden spear came flying from a distance, and bore a hole in Kunzite's heart. It travelled straight through him, leaving his body through his back as quickly as it had entered. He wailed in pain, though no sound emerged from his throat. Staring down at his breast, he watched the open, gaping wound, but saw no blood flowing from it.

Instead, only salt poured out of his chest.

Kunzite's wet hair licked his face and his cape felt heavy. He shut his eyes, trying to think of the only one who could comfort him now. But he could not remember what she looked like. No matter how hard he tried, he could not even recall her name. She who was born of the Sea. She who had been his beloved. Oh, he had nothing left to hold on to.

Releasing the rope, Kunzite exhaled, and let himself plummet into the stormy ocean.

There was no speed in his fall. He slowly drifted downwards, through the battering rain, until his body hit the water. The waves submerged him, claiming him, dragging him into the dark, impenetrable depths of the ocean. He sank alone, amidst the shimmering bubbles, releasing a trail of salt from his heart, like a white cloud that dispersed as it rose. His hair was light and feathery as a veil, and there was a beautiful stillness in his features. Kunzite opened his eyes, and saw the throbbing light of thunder above the surface.

But he felt no impulse to swim towards it, yielding instead to his own demise. Giving himself up to the invisible hands that had captured him. The ten thousand Stygian hands that were pulling him deeper and deeper into the blackness below.

_Finally, he awoke._  
Gasping for air, Kunzite sat up straight on his bed. He touched his naked chest, and gave a look around. He recognized the walls of his room, the tranquility of night. No pounding waves, no taunt sails, no vicious winds. Relieved but still shaken, he lay on his back in silent contemplation. Then, he thought of Venus.

He could picture her face in his mind, and it was enough to appease him.

II.

Bringing the glass cup to his lips, he paused, absorbed by the verses on the page before him. He eventually took a sip of chai, eyes still riveted upon the text. Early that morning, Kunzite had borrowed an old book from the highest shelf of the palace library, where it had been waiting for him, dusty and forgotten. At the end of the day, after he and the other Kings had returned from an official trip with Prince Endymion, he had retreated to his room to read it.

He was consulting a footnote, when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," he said, reading on.  
"I hope I'm not bothering you on this fine evening," Nephrite said as he walked in.  
"Not at all."  
"Very good. And even if were, it would hardly change anything, for I am here now and the damage is done."  
"It certainly is."  
Nephrite grinned and observed his fellow King. He wore a blue robe, and sat cross-legged on a large cushion, by a low table that was placed on a persian rug. Kunzite's room featured all sorts of items he had collected over the years. Most of them originated from the region under his protection, but there were a few other things as well. Nephrite was pleased to find some of his own North American pieces hanging on the walls.  
"Once again, I find Lord Kunzite with a book in his hand. How very predictable. Let me guess, philosophy?" he asked.  
"Not exactly."  
"Then what?" Nephrite inquired, sitting opposite to Kunzite.  
"Nothing to interest you."  
"_Everything_ interests me, old friend. What book is it?"  
Kunzite blushed faintly, trying to prevent Nephrite from seeing the title. In the end, he had to put the book aside, cover down.  
"Please," he said, "help yourself to some chai."  
"I shall, thank you," Nephrite replied, eyeing the golden plate and empty glass on the table in front of him.  
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Nephrite?"  
"I wanted to - Wait, what do you call this thing, again?"  
He pointed at the kettle under the teapot.  
"It's a Samāwa."  
"Yes, this odd contraption of yours. I've always liked it. Mint tea?"  
"Black."  
"Excellent. May I have some of those sugar cubes?"  
"Certainly. You can place one in your mouth, behind your teeth, and drink. Or you can just let it dissolve."  
Kunzite handed him the sugar bowl, and Nephrite eagerly dropped four cubes in his cup.  
"Look, I am here for two reasons," he finally began, after he had tasted his chai. "First, because I wish to obtain your opinion on a certain matter. One of the heart."  
"Oh?"  
"I know that you are not the kind of man who likes to share his private life with others. After all, you never speak to us of your affection for Venus - and rest assured, I respect that entirely, for I know that it is in your nature to be so discreet. I, however, am of a more open temperament, and cannot help but want to share my feelings with my friends. I am mad about Jupiter. I think it comes as no surprise to you."  
He threw a glance at Kunzite, who chuckled.  
"Anyway, what I am trying to say is that I wish to demonstrate my love for Jupiter by offering her a gift. A token of my admiration. You know how it goes."  
"What kind of gift?"  
Nephrite pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, and unfolded it with trembling hands.  
"A dagger. I wish to make her a dagger."  
"Is it something the Princess of Jupiter likes?" Kunzite patiently asked.  
"Well, not _per se_. She doesn't use any weapons. But she does enjoy all of my work."  
Kunzite drank his chai, listening.  
"Besides, it would only be a decorative dagger," Nephrite continued. "Something she could keep in her chambers and admire now and then."  
"Well, I am sure she will appreciate it, since it will come from you. Is that what you wanted to ask me?"  
"No, I've already made up my mind. I will forge it tonight by the light of the stars, under the protection of Orion. As the most splendid of constellations, it will bring her good fortune."  
"Then why do you require my opinion?"  
Annoyed, Nephrite shoved the paper in Kunzite's face, obliging him to examine it.  
"I want you to have a look at my sketch, and tell me what you think."  
Kunzite took the time to study all its details; the fine pencil lines, the measurements and all the notes Nephrite had included.  
"Stunning work," he declared.  
"Did you notice the rose carving on the handle? Her favourite flower."  
"I did. Very thoughtful. And what are these two small roses, here?"  
He showed him the hasty scribble at the bottom of the paper.  
"Oh, those are earrings. I want to make her some rose earrings with whatever will be left of the material."  
"Then I'd say you are ready to begin."  
"I'm going to work all night at this. I have to start immediately. But before I do, there is the other thing I wanted to talk to you about."  
"Yes?"  
Nephrite grew serious.  
"I saw a woman creeping into the palace the other evening. Perhaps it is nothing of consequence, but I thought I should let you know. It was quite bizarre, and it's been bothering me."  
"What did she look like?"  
"All I could see was that she had red hair. It was long and wavy. As soon as I approached her, she vanished. I went after her, not wanting to leave it unresolved, but it was as though the shadows had engulfed her. She was nowhere in sight. I felt a bit foolish, for I had drawn my sword out and everything, but found myself effectively chasing a ghost."  
Kunzite frowned.  
"That is very strange. If you see her again, let me know."  
"I will. In any case, be on the lookout, Kunzite. News about Serenity and Endymion has spread outside of the palace, and people have been trying to get near, to see for themselves."  
"I know."  
"Well, I better leave you now," Nephrite said before finishing his chai in a single gulp, and then rising to his feet. "I have a dagger to produce."  
"Will you be able to stay awake?"  
"Of course. I'm hardly even tired. And I'm much too agitated to sleep. I don't know how you can be so calm, knowing you will see the one you love tomorrow. After having been obliged to spend _an entire day_ without her. You _irritate_ me."  
As a response, Kunzite gave a smile.  
"Good night, Nephrite," he said.  
"Good night. Enjoy your philosophy, or whatever it is you're reading to help keep your mind off Venus. Perhaps you should lend it to me someday."  
His closing remark delivered, Nephrite left the room, and shut the door behind him.

When he was finally alone, Kunzite's mind began to err. He rotated the glass in his palm for a while, then put it away on the table. After sitting still for a few moments, he distractedly turned his book over, exposing its title.  
_Hymns to Aphrodite_

III.

He was awakened at dawn by a scream that reached deep into his subconscious, and pulled him out of his sleep.  
It was Nephrite.

"Wake up, all of you!" he cried, running from door to door to call out for his fellow Kings.  
Kunzite sat up, and squinted through the darkness, trying to understand what was happening. His feet touched the cold floor as he rose from his bed and began fumbling for his sword. Once he had seized it, he hurried out of his room.  
In the corridor, he found Jedeite with his arms folded.  
"What's going on?" Kunzite asked, stepping forward.  
He received no answer. Nephrite appeared with Zoisite, and urged them to follow him outside.  
"You must see this," he said, pacing ahead. "Come quickly."  
"This better be important," Zoisite threatened him.  
"Oh, it is, trust me," Nephrite replied as he lead them to the main terrace of the palace.  
Passing the threshold, Kunzite glanced up at the white drapes floating around him in the humid breeze. They danced wearily, as in a dream.

"I have never seen anything like it before," Nephrite declared, staring at the heavens above.  
Lifting up his own eyes, Kunzite froze.

The fading night sky was scarred with bright filaments, etched over the stars. On the horizon, the light of day crept in, while a legion of meteors rushed passed the Earth's atmosphere, like a luminous torrent. Thick as rain, the countless strings of light descended in straight lines, at unimaginable speeds. But some of them seemed to fall right through the dark blue dome, and crash onto the surface of the planet.

"This is the greatest meteor shower I have ever witnessed," Nephrite declared.  
There was a strange solemnity in his voice.  
"I don't know what to make of this. What it means," he continued.  
"It is extraordinary," Jedeite said.  
"A stunning spectacle," Zoisite added. "It enchants me."  
Kunzite closed his eyes for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts.  
"Something's not right," Nephrite said. "I sense a great deal of agitation coming from our brightest star. Father Sun is uneasy."  
"To me, it feels like something momentous has happened," Zoisite said, drawing nearer to the edge of the terrace and resting his arms on the railing.  
Nephrite joined him.  
"I was outside, working on my dagger for Jupiter, when the first meteor caught my eye. Then, there was another, and another, and another. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."  
"Nephrite," Kunzite finally said.  
"Yes?"  
"The air. Is it not charged with something new? Something heavy and obscure? I feel a weight on my shoulders."  
"Perhaps. I don't know what to make of it."  
"Your Highness," Jedeite said, suddenly bowing while the others turned to greet Prince Endymion.  
"It is a beautiful sight," Endymion said. "And worth all the commotion."  
"My Prince, I am very sorry if I accidentally woke you up," Nephrite said, then faced the other way again. "It was not my intention. I would never have dared to call out for you so early."  
"No, I am glad I could see this.

Eyes anchored in the starry ocean, Nephrite had taken on an air of great majesty. His brown locks draped over his broad shoulders and his back, and he seemed to stand taller than ever. His waist was narrow and his stance, proud. His features were strong, defined, his nose but slightly arched and his skin glowing from the light of the stars. When he willed his glance in his direction, Kunzite noticed the intensity of his ultramarine eyes. Nephrite was a man of the stars, and came alive in their presence.

"You did not expect this phenomenon, did you, Nephrite?" Endymion inquired.  
"Not at all. And I am never taken by surprise in these matters."  
"There are so many of them. So many meteors."  
"Most irregular."  
"Is there any cause for worry?"  
"That, I cannot say. There might have been a disturbance in the solar system. Like a... _wave_."  
There was a pain in Kunzite's chest. Brief, but sharp.  
"I wonder if Serenity can see this from the Moon," Endymion said.  
"I believe so."

The Four Heavenly Kings and their Prince remained on the terrace, watching the meteor shower until the rising of a sun that would remain hidden behind the clouds. The morning sky was grey, morose, and brightened only by the prospect of that day's upcoming visit.

Kunzite would see Venus again.

IV.

He had been waiting for her in the autumn flower garden, on the marble bench under the yellow gingko trees. From a distance, she caught sight of his white hair behind the cast iron fence, and immediately ran towards him. Kunzite noticed her, and rose to his feet to meet her.

When they had both drawn closer, they stopped on opposite sides of the fence, and observed each other through the slender bars. Venus held onto them, tightening her fingers around the dark metal, and looked up at her quiet King of Heaven. He passed his hand between the bars, and caressed her cheek to feel the softness of her skin. Blushing, she laughed, and began walking along the fence, to reach the splendid gates. Kunzite followed her, his gaze still submerged in hers.

At last, she stood before the open gates.  
Before Kunzite himself.

With the tip of his fingers, he lightly brushed her throat as he pushed back her hair, to hold her face in his hands. As he inclined his head and leaned towards her, Venus closed her eyes and gripped his waist. Kunzite kissed her, took a deep breath, then kissed her again, and again. His left hand strayed to her waist and reached around her, while Venus rested her right hand on his arm. He inclined his head to the other side as he kept kissing her, his lips never leaving hers, and with both hands, grasped her tightly, almost lifting her off the ground. Finally, she brought her arms around his neck, and rested her chin on his shoulder, embracing him with a smile.

"I missed you," she said, now looking into his eyes. "And it's only been a day."  
The wind brought a lock of her hair over her face, and Kunzite placed it back where it belonged.  
"_O, gilded lover of smiles_," he began, "_resplendent are you, with the glowing beauty of your tender charms_."  
Venus took his hand.  
"What is that?" she asked.  
"Something I read yesterday."  
"I didn't know you liked poetry. I thought you preferred philosophy."  
"I felt the need for some verses. It was a long day."  
"How did the trip go?"  
"Well. Prince Endymion received a warm welcome, and found that region much improved."  
"There was a meteor shower earlier today. You saw it, didn't you?"  
"I did. Nephrite woke us all up at dawn."  
"It was beautiful. It made me think of you."  
"Did it?"  
"Yes. Or at least, I was thinking so much of you that even the meteor shower couldn't divert my thoughts."  
He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and seemed preoccupied.  
"What is it?" Venus asked, detecting a sigh.  
"I'm not sure. It was all very unusual."  
"Well, there have been explosions on the sun," Venus said. "Solar flares. But I don't think there's any link. In fact, the sun worries me more than that meteor shower does."  
Above them, the clouds had not yet receded. Kunzite glanced up at the sky, but could not see the sun.  
"I hope it won't rain today," he said, entering the garden with Venus.  
"Those clouds are really dark. But we might be lucky," she answered.

They sat down on the bench, with their backs against the hand-carved marble. Venus laid her head on Kunzite's chest and they remained silent for a while, admiring the bronze, gold, yellow and scarlet Chrysanthemums that were planted in front of them.  
"I had a strange dream the other night," Kunzite suddenly revealed.  
"What was it about?"  
"I have a hard time recalling the details of it. All I know, is that I was caught in a storm."  
_And he couldn't remember her._  
"Like in one of your voyages at sea?"  
"Worse."  
"I wish I could dream your bad dreams for you," Venus declared.  
Kunzite lifted her chin up.  
"I would rather offer you all my beautiful dreams."  
She touched his face, kissed his cheek with gratitude.  
"I dreamed of Magellan last night," she told him. "It was even brighter than in my memories. Do you ever miss _Aram?_"  
"Sometimes. Though I have not been there in a very long time."  
"If you could only see Magellan, my beloved one," she said dreamily.  
"I belong to the Earth."  
Venus kept still, holding her breath.  
"And to you," he added.  
Relieved, she exhaled.  
"Can this happiness last?" she asked. "Queen Serenity believes the love of Serenity and Endymion will end in sadness. But I can't help but think, perhaps they have defeated the odds. Perhaps there is hope for them, and for _us_."  
She listened to the waves in his heart, as though there were a sea inside of him.  
"I want to be near you forever," she continued. "When I am not with you, it is almost unbearable."  
"As it is for me."  
She paused, then spoke again.  
"Do you know, besides Serenity, I think I'm not the only one who thought spending a whole day away from Earth was difficult. Mars couldn't wait for today, though she would never admit to it. I've never seen her in love before. The way she mocks, then praises Jedeite. The way she lets him pursue her, and pursues him back."  
"Jedeite is quite taken with her."  
"Meanwhile, Jupiter's been raving about Nephrite."  
"He spent all night making her a dagger."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, he showed me the sketch, asked for my opinion. Just like him to be so demonstrative. But I've always appreciated his stout, open character. And I think he's found his equal in the Princess of Jupiter."  
"Zoisite and Mercury are very different. They make an odd couple, and yet... They are perfect together."  
"Your friend is modest and self-conscious. Zoisite is affable and clever, and likes to put on a show wherever he goes. He has a passion for arts and culture, while the Princess of Mercury seems to possess a more technical, empirical mind. I think he challenges her, as _she_ challenges _him_."  
"How can we have been so fortunate?" Venus asked, looking up at him. "To have all found love. I wonder, how does love work? Have we been destined for each other, all this time? Are we halves of the same whole? Is it... fate?"  
Kunzite smiled. He touched her lower lip with his thumb and stared into her eyes.  
"Such questions, coming from the Goddess of Love?"  
"You're right, I..."

Before she could finish, he kissed her mouth with such reverence, such devotion, that Venus forgot what she had meant to say, and could no longer tell if she was awake, or if she was dreaming.

V.

Peering through the thinning clouds, the Moon cast its light upon the Earth.

Father Sun had not shown his face for days. The skies only partially cleared at night, allowing moonlight alone to touch the land and its strange new thorns. Soon after the meteor shower, black monoliths had indeed begun to rise from the ground, first in one spot, then all over Elysion. Some men had even come to worship the dark structures that grew and multiplied like weeds. Concerned, the Heavenly Kings and Serenity's Guardians had investigated the matter together, with no success. They were baffled by the changes the planet had undertaken, but found no immediate danger in them. All appeared to be calm, as though the monoliths were a natural occurrence, and the permanent clouds merely announced a hesitant rain.

It was late. Kunzite entered his bedroom after having spent all evening in the palace library. He had consulted the knowledge of the past in order to find answers about the present, but had found no mention of black towers and sunless days.

As he opened the door, he noticed a strip of white flesh, illuminated only by the glow that came through the window. A dark figure sat on his bed, legs crossed. Red eyes studied him, and burned through the blackness like torches. Kunzite drew his sword, and the intruder leaned forward to reveal herself. She rested her chin in her hand and her elbow on her thigh.

It was a woman with long wavy hair, and a dress she had pulled up just enough to expose her pale legs. Kunzite immediately recalled Nephrite's words.  
_I saw a woman creeping into the palace the other evening._  
"We meet at last, oh greatest of Heavenly Kings..." she said, almost in a whisper.  
"Who...Who are you?" Kunzite asked, his blade picking up the moonlight.  
The woman rose and slowly walked towards him.  
"My name is unutterable for the likes of you. But in the same way that you and your fellow angels call yourselves the names of precious stones, so shall I. I am _Beryl_. A shield-maiden of the Earth."  
"You have the aura of a sorceress. I feel a dark energy all around you."  
She grinned. Her full, crimson lips curled, revealing her teeth. She had white skin and high cheekbones, and her beauty was a frightening one. Kunzite could not stop staring at her angular face.  
"And is darkness such an undesirable thing, _Kunzite?_"  
At her _eyes._  
"How dare you address me by my name, as though we were acquainted?" he said, tightening his grip around his weapon.  
"We might as well be, for I know everything about you, my pretty white-haired angel. I have been endowed with powers beyond your imagination. You believe light is the master you should serve. That its magnificence is unequalled. But light is offensive, futile. The true beauty is within the shining darkness."  
"You speak only falsehood."  
"No, I do not," she hissed, drawing even closer to him. "_A void is not inherent; it is created, as darkness is formed by the dying light of the setting sun_."  
Kunzite's heartbeat accelerated.  
"The void is not really a void until light has cast its pernicious rays upon it," she continued. "And darkness is betrayed, overthrown by light, reduced to the state of a groveling beggar, when it is the primal state of _everything_. It is not merely the absence of light. Come, philosopher, reflect upon it."  
"Without light, there is nothing worth living for. To live in darkness is to never truly be born."  
"You are wrong. To live in darkness is to be _free_. That is where true beauty resides. Light reveals boundaries, while darkness conceals and erases them."  
Slowly, Beryl dragged her finger along Kunzite's blade, inciting him to lower it. She circled him like a vulture, her lean figure gliding through the shadows.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, his voice deceitfully calm.  
"What do_ I_ want from you? Perhaps you should ask yourself what the _Moon and her allies_ want from you. From the Earth."  
He frowned.  
"Oh, my sweet King. You are thinking of _her_ now, aren't you?"  
Her tone was derisive, false.  
"What a passionate lover you are. Still waters truly do run deep. You'd like to hold her in your arms, and press her to your lips. The Goddess of Love and Beauty, and _desire_."  
"Do not speak of her, sorceress," Kunzite snapped.  
"Come now, don't be angry. I am not your enemy. The same cannot be said of _them_. Why do you suppose each of Serenity's guardians has so conveniently won the affections of one of the Heavenly Kings? Why do you think Serenity herself has chosen Endymion, our noble Prince? How blind he is. And so are you. Do you not find it a strange coincidence? Do you not think it possible that perhaps it was the design of the Moon to have each of you fools bind yourselves to one of Serenity's Guardians? The Earth has always been desired, envied by the other planets of this solar system. It is its most precious jewel. Long has the Moon and its allies plotted to seize control of our planet. And submit it to complete servitude."  
"You are lying."  
"Am I? But surely, you must have thought of this. Look outside. The clouds only disperse at night now. Why? To let the Moon observe the Earth. Its prey. And with the help of its sisters, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and _Venus_, it seeks to control it. Endymion and his Heavenly Kings are just pawns on the chessboard. But the Earth has an ally of its own. Father Sun."  
Kunzite shook his head.  
"You've seen the black monoliths, haven't you?" she asked him. "They are a gift from the Sun. In his benevolence, he has consented to arm us with some of its power. Those structures contain unparalleled energy, and once awake, they will feed us in our time of need."  
Beryl reached around Kunzite's neck, and stroked his cheek.  
"Don't touch me," he warned her.  
He tried to pull away, but she seized him.  
"Your lover is deceiving you, my sweet King."  
"She is not," he replied. "She loves me. And I love _her_, more than my own life."  
Bringing her mouth close to his ear, Beryl dug her long fingernails into his cheek.  
"You don't believe me? Then just ask her. Ask her what she would do if she had to choose between you, and the Moon. Merely ask her, and see what she tells you. See where lies her true allegiance. You will know then that I am not lying. And perhaps will you think more kindly of me, and consider joining me, before it's too late and the Earth falls into the hands of the Moon."

With every fiber of his being, Kunzite strove to resist the evil that was assailing him. But somehow, his mind could not rid itself of this woman's words, no matter how hard he tried. She had planted a seed, the seed of a wicked plant whose wiry roots reached deep into his brain, to suffocate it with crippling doubt, and twisted heresies.  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._  
"Just ask her," Beryl said, brushing his ear with her lips.  
Kunzite turned to her in anger, sword raised above his head, and struck.  
But a wordless conjuration had already made her disappear, as though she had been nothing more than a fleeting, elusive spirit.

VI.

Kunzite did not sleep that night.

Savage winds had filled the white sails of his soul. He sat in the corridor by Endymion's door, determined to guard his master in case the sorceress came back. But she did not. For she had already dealt her cards, and needed only to wait.

He was wide awake, eyes shifting, studying the blackness all around him. Expecting danger at any moment, yet faced only with silence, and the sound of his own breath. Confined to the tormenting company of his own thoughts. Nothing but obsessive, sterile suspicions, and obscure meditations.  
_She was using him._  
_Darkness is the primal state of everything._  
_She did not love him._  
_Darkness is betrayed by light._  
_She was deceiving him._  
_Reduced to the state of a groveling beggar._  
_She served the Moon._  
_To live in darkness is to be free._  
_She did not love him._  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._

Oh, there was a spinning wheel in his head; it spun, and spun, and spun. What had Beryl done to him? What spell had she cast upon his spirit? Kunzite strove to chase away these thoughts he knew were not his, but they clung to him like bastard children, pretending they were his, truly his.

When morning came, Endymion found him huddled near the door, with his forehead resting against the hilt of his sword, and the tip of his blade fixed between two tiles on the floor.  
"Kunzite? What are you doing here? Has something happened?" he asked, and his guardian immediately stood up.  
"N-No, your Majesty. I simply wanted to make sure you were safe."  
"So you sat in front of my room all night?"  
"Yes, I... I couldn't sleep."  
Endymion looked into his eyes.  
"Is everything alright, Kunzite? You seem agitated."  
"Think no more of it, my Prince. No harm has come to you, and I am satisfied."  
He turned to leave, finding himself unable to tell Endymion about the sorceress.

Kunzite's immediate refuge was the stone terrace. He lingered there for hours, observing the sea, hoping to find order within. Above his head, the sky was thick with clouds, and he could barely distinguish the shape of the sun behind them. He wondered if he would ever see it again.

Soon enough, Venus joined him. The wind carried her voice, calling out his name. He faced her, and took a few steps in her direction, his heart like strangled by a stiffening rope. Threads of adoration, intertwined with threads of doubt.  
_Threads of faith, and fear._  
"There you are," Venus said, smiling at him.  
He stood in front of her, as still as a statue. Venus drew nearer, and slowly reached out for his face, which she held with both hands, as he always did. She rose on the tip of her toes, to bring her mouth close to his. Venus felt him hesitate, so she put her left hand behind his head, and gently beckoned him.  
Kunzite did not move. He did not know what he wanted. His mind was reluctant, yet he was as drawn to her as he had ever been. They both closed their eyes, and he touched her cheek with his fingers. Her warmth, her softness, her scent, everything about her made him dizzy. And finally, he gave in.  
Holding her waist, he kissed her with passion, lost somewhere between his heart, and his mind.

As they walked together towards the palace, Venus noticed that he was more quiet than usual. There was a melancholy in his gaze, a stagnant fog that would not lift. His white locks drifted sadly in the breeze, and his complexion seemed unusually pale.  
"You are different today," Venus said, taking his hand.  
"I am?"  
"Yes. I can tell that you are unwell. What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."  
"I feel it in my heart. Something grieves you."  
He kissed her hand in reassurance.  
"I am simply tired, Venus. I didn't sleep last night. Do not worry for me."  
"Did you have too much of that black tea you like so much?" she inquired. "I heard it can cause insomnia."  
Kunzite offered her a smile.  
"Unlikely. I am used to it. How are you?"  
"I am well, now that I'm with you. Any news concerning the monoliths?"  
_They are a gift from Father Sun._  
"Not really. I went to the library yesterday, to consult old volumes on history, religion, mythology. Nothing like this has ever occurred before. At least, it's never been recorded."  
"Mercury's still convinced that they were caused by the meteor shower. Some of the meteors did crash into the earth."  
"It's very possible."  
"I'd say, most likely. We must watch them closely, for if these monoliths should turn out to be dangerous, we must destroy them ourselves. With the help of the Legendary Silver Crystal. Our most powerful weapon."  
_When they awake, they will feed us in our time of need._  
"For now, they appear to be dormant," he said.  
"Yes, but what if they... I have a bad feeling about them, Kunzite. And I fear that they are connected to Queen Serenity's premonition about Serenity and Endymion. Have the monoliths changed at all since yesterday?"  
"Not to my knowledge. Jedeite gave us a report this morning."  
"Our Prince and Princess are worried, but as soon as they are together, it's like they forget all about their cares. And it is up to us to ensure their safety. I don't wish to trouble Serenity with these matters. We must keep our eyes and ears open."  
"All is calm at the moment."  
"Yes," she breathed, and stopped to enfold him in her arms. How tightly she held him. Kunzite stroked her head, wondering how she could possibly be deceiving him. How, when by her touch alone, he could already tell how much she loved him?  
But did she love him _enough?_  
_Ask her._  
Kunzite looked away, refusing to heed to the silent provocations in his head.  
_Merely ask her._  
"Even from the Moon, we watch over the Earth," Venus said, interrupting his thoughts. "And I, over you."  
_The Moon observes the Earth._  
_Its prey._  
She stared up at him with a smile, and playfully tickled his ear with her fingers. It aroused him, and he blushed. She caught hold of his left pendant earring and admired the dark stone.  
"You've got better jewelry than I do'" she joked. "I've never asked. Does it mean anything particular to you?"  
"Not really."  
_Ask her._  
"It suits you. I've always liked it."  
_Ask her._  
How he wanted to purge his brain of that sorceress' voice. Perhaps if he complied, asked the question that had been torturing him all night, he would find peace at last. He could not bear it anymore.

"I must ask you something," Kunzite began, removing her hand and holding it in his.  
"What is it?"  
She seemed concerned, apprehensive.  
"Venus. If the Moon were ever to wage war against the Earth, what would you do?"  
"Wage war against the Earth? Why would it do such a thing?"  
"Suppose it did. Only suppose."  
"I... I don't understand what it is you're asking me."  
"If the Moon and the Earth became enemies, whose side would you fight on? Would you fight by my side, or against me?"  
Searching his eyes, Venus gave a frown.  
"Why do you ask such a question?"  
"I want to know."  
"The Moon would _never_ harm the Earth."  
"Tell me. Whose side would you choose?"  
Stepping back, she released herself from his tightening grasp.  
"Kunzite, you know very well that my duty is to serve Princess Serenity and the Moon. Above all else."  
He nodded.  
"Above all else," he repeated in a stern voice.  
_See where lies her true allegiance._  
He considered her.  
"You truly mean it."  
"Yes. But you would do the same," Venus said. "Just yesterday, you told me that you belonged to the Earth."  
"And to you. It's been a struggle for me ever since I fell in love with you, Venus. I have incessantly felt torn between my duties, my planet, and you. Wondering what our future could hold."  
He stepped forward.  
"Yet deep down, I had the hope, the conviction that in the end, we would choose _each other._ I see now that I was wrong. And that perhaps I should follow your example."  
"Kunzite..."  
He glared at her, his heart brimming with sorrow. For a moment, he slanted forward, longing for the tenderness of her lips, but suddenly drew back.  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._  
"Kunzite!" she cried as he turned her back on her. "What is the matter with you?"  
Watching his grey cape flutter behind him, Venus waited for a reply that never came. Kunzite simply walked away, and found that the voice reverberating through his head had only grown louder.

The perfidious seeds of revolt had found such fertile ground.

VII.

How far he had walked along the coastline, he did not know. After his argument with Venus, Kunzite had left the palace grounds. Through howling winds, he had followed the endless path at the edge of the cliffs, with the sea constantly at his side. His mind had been tinted with thoughts of many shades. Some dark as coal, others, blue as his lover's eyes.

Glancing over at the sky above the sea, Kunzite noticed that dusk had traced a red horizon under the clouds. It was time for him to go home. He turned around, and made his way back to the palace, where he did not arrive before nightfall.

All was quiet. As he strode into the main hall, he took a look around, distinguishing the stairway that lead up to the second floor. Climbing the steps, he sensed an aura he had hoped never to sense again.

At the top of the stairs, the sorceress awaited him, as on a pedestal.

"I told you," she declared, looking down at Kunzite, who was standing just below her.  
Kunzite immediately reached for his sword, and pulled it out.  
"Draw back, sorceress!" he cried.  
"Oh, my sweet King. Is your heart broken?"  
"I will cast you out of this holy palace, and you shall not return!"  
"She does not truly love you, does she?"  
His hands trembled.  
"Why do you torment me?" he suddenly asked her, head down.  
_Evil, flowing out of her in waves, and seeping into his body._  
_He was sailor, tied to the front of his ship like a helpless figurehead._  
Beryl stroked his silky hair.  
"And why do you want so badly to choose faith over fear? Do you know what the difference between the two are, Kunzite? Faith can disappoint you, abandon you. But not fear. Fear is constant, always loyal. Faith is not what conquers fear, fear is what conquers the _lies_ of faith."  
"Your philosophy is perverse," Kunzite replied, his fingers desperately searching for the stone on the blade of his sword.  
Her red locks slowly rose in the air, like serpents.  
"Have _I_ lied to you, Heavenly King? Did I not tell you that your lover prefers the Moon over you? Did I not warn you about her deceit?"  
The facets of the stone were cold. He touched them, closing his eyes.  
"You must listen to your head, not your heart," she continued, carefully taking hold of his weapon. "For you have foolishly given up your heart to her. Your own heart betrays you."  
"What is it that you want from me?"  
She cupped his face in her hand, and he could not even move.  
"I only want your help. We must protect our planet from the wicked designs of the Moon. There are thousands of men out there, ready to fight for the Earth. Together, we can mobilize them, make them all unite for a single, noble purpose. I need the Kings of Heaven on my side, for Prince Endymion cannot be reasoned with. He is under Princess Serenity's spell. He has become a _traitor_ to his Kingdom."  
"No. Endymion is a good ruler. A true Prince of Earth."  
"Is he not the one who convinced you to let Serenity come back to him? Did he not incite you to disobey the Law and to trust him? Prince Endymion has become a slave of the Moon. And he would do anything for his Princess. He would even sacrifice the sovereignty of his own planet for her. But you are not like him, are you?"  
"I serve him."  
"Because _he_ serves the Earth. Only, what happens when he no longer does? You cannot follow him. You must stay loyal to your planet. You were born to watch over it."  
"That is my duty."  
"Yes, precisely."  
She caressed his cheek, grazing it with her fingernails. For so long, she had watched and admired Prince Endymion from afar, knowing she could never have him. And now, she had his best Heavenly King at her mercy. So striking was he with his olive skin and his white hair. That noble face of his, that straight nose and those soft eyes. What a lovely puppet he would make. He would be her favourite, he who had been the most pure.  
"Let me show you something tomorrow," she said. "On the outskirts of Elysion, at the feet of the great mountain, there is a single, giant monolith. Join me there in the morning, as soon as the sun rises. Be with me as the towers awaken, and watch me reveal the source of my powers to you. Be there, Kunzite."  
With a clang, the sword suddenly fell to the floor.  
"I will not," Kunzite whispered, and saw that she was gone.

VIII.

At the sight of the empty terrace, she gave a faint gasp.

Venus did not find Kunzite on the stone terrace the next day. She had expected to see him there, facing the sea, but there was no one by the railing. Worried, she headed for the spiral garden, but it was empty. Her pulse accelerated. There was a pit in her stomach, the puncture of a poison arrow. Not wanting to alarm anyone, she checked the Red Bridge, the autumn flower garden, the citrus garden, the statue garden, and every other place where they had spent time together. With each setting, memories overwhelmed her, only making her desire to see him more ardent.

It took her over an hour to search Endymion's gardens, to no avail. Finally, she decided to go into the palace.

She contemplated the empty library, and sat down at his usual table. Cradling her face in her hands.  
How could she have wounded him so?  
Did she not love him more than she had ever loved anyone? Was love not sacred to her? Why had he asked her that question, that cursed question that had torn open a rift between them? Why had he doubted her? And what had she seen in his eyes? Who was that man who had glared at her and left her anguished on the gravel pathway?

Venus rose. She quit the library, without pushing her chair back.  
_Maybe he was in his room._

Opening the unlocked door, she walked into yet another space where he was not. For a moment, she stared at his things, at all the beautiful items he kept in his bedroom. The persian rugs, the golden plates, the vases, the paintings. His glass tea cups, and his books. Above her head, there was a painted arch, and in the back was his bed.

"Princess Venus?" a man's voice soon inquired, and she turned around wearily.  
Knowing it was not Kunzite who had spoken.  
"What are you doing here? Are you... looking for Kunzite?"  
Nephrite stood in the doorway, his left hand resting against the wooden frame.  
"I am," she murmured.  
"Did he not tell you?"  
"Tell me what?"  
"He went out early this morning, to further investigate those monoliths, this time on his own. Said he had a few things to verify."  
Venus tried to conceal her distress.  
_He had not told her._  
"Oh, I... must have forgotten, then," she lied.  
"I merely came up here to fetch my telescope. I noticed that the door was open and thought maybe Kunzite was already back."  
"He is not."  
"I'm very sorry about that. If you wish, you may join us. From the rooftop, Jupiter and I have spotted a particularly dark cloud near the great mountain, and we want to have a closer look at it."  
"Thank you, but I think I'll pass."  
She offered him a forced smile. He observed her attentively, then nodded.  
"As you prefer."  
"I think I'll just stay here for a little while."  
"Very well," Nephrite replied, bowing.  
Just when he was about to close the door behind him, he spoke again.  
"Are you quite alright, Princess?"  
"Yes," she replied, out of breath.  
It was not his place to ask if anything had occurred between her and his friend, so Nephrite took his leave.

After he had shut the door, Venus walked over to Kunzite's bed. As she sat down on it, she noticed a book lying at her feet. She picked it up to read the title.  
_Hymns to Aphrodite_  
She could barely swallow. Placing the book beside her, she lay back on his bed, with her head on his pillow. Venus turned to the side, bringing her legs close to her chest and curling up on the embroidered bed spread.  
His scent was all over the room.  
It lingered in his pillow.  
And in every fiber of his sheets.  
_Where was he?_  
She longed for his touch, and his gentle manners. The words he chose, and the way her hand fit in his. But the image of him, angry with her, crushed her soul, oppressed her entire body. Like she lay at the bottom of the sea.  
_Oh, she could not breathe._  
_She could not breathe._

Venus closed her eyes, convulsing.  
Giving in to muted sobs.  
Afraid of offending the silence of Kunzite's room.


	4. Chapter Four: Líthi

**Líthi**

I.

There was a stifling heaviness in the air, a form of tension that seemed to poison the minds of Men.

Venus had not seen Kunzite since their argument. When she and the other Guardians would arrive on Earth, he would never be present. And the other Kings could never explain his absence to her. They had no excuses to give her on his behalf. Prince Endymion himself did not know where he had gone, and why he had not yet returned.

Staring blankly, she sat by an open window of the palace, feeling the cool breeze on her face. The skies had not cleared, and the monoliths she could perceive in the distance appeared blacker than ever.  
_As though the darkness within them glimmered._  
Someone put a hand on her shoulder. It was Mars.  
"What are you doing here all alone, Venus?" she inquired.  
"Nothing. Just thinking."  
"About Kunzite?"  
"Yes."  
"I wonder where he is. Why he has not even informed Endymion."  
"I don't know."  
She looked at her with keen eyes.  
"Have... Have you two quarreled, Venus?"  
"They've awakened, you know. The monoliths," Venus replied, turning back towards the window.  
"I can feel it too," Mars admitted.  
"How is Jedeite?"  
"He seems a little withdrawn lately. He's always very kind, but... I guess these monoliths make him nervous. They do seem different. I wonder what will happen next. I had a premonition, Venus. The fire showed me something this morning."  
"What?"  
Mars shrugged.  
"I'm not sure. It looked like a face. A terrifying one. Deformed, like a shifting _shadow_..."  
"I hope Kunzite's all right. To know that he's out there, all alone... I haven't spoken to him for so long."  
"You're bound see him sooner or later. He can't keep hiding from you."  
"He's not hiding, Mars."  
"Then you did quarrel?"  
"We did."  
"What about?"  
"I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry. Please understand me."  
Nodding, Mars stroked her friend's head, not knowing how else to comfort her.

Venus remained by that window until late in the afternoon, when Prince Endymion came to see her. He walked over to her, but she barely noticed him.  
"I thought you would like to see this," he said, holding out a letter to her.  
Finally, she turned away from the window.  
"What is it?" she asked, taking the piece of paper and quickly unfolding it.  
"News from Kunzite."  
She scrambled to read the elegant, fine handwriting:

_My Prince,_

_Please forgive me for disappearing without saying a word to anyone. It was wrong of me, and I am sorry for it. There are things with which I struggle, that I am not yet ready to share. I embarked on a ship towards the Middle East, for I felt the pressing need to make sure that all is well in the region under my protection. At present, I find myself on the shores of the Red Sea, where I have discovered the same monoliths as those in Elysion. It has lead me to conclude that the entire planet is riddled with them. I now plan to go westwards, to Istanbul. I do not yet know when I will return, but rest assured, I will send you news of my whereabouts, and answer the call if I am needed. _

_Your tireless servant,_

_Kunzite_

"Is that all?" Venus asked, turning the letter over.  
"I'm afraid so," Endymion replied with a sorry smile.  
"Well, I am relieved that he is unharmed."  
She was about to hand him the piece of paper, when she changed her mind and pressed it to her chest.  
"Might I keep it, your Majesty?"  
"Of course. I was going to give it to you anyway."  
There was a pause. He looked at her, contemplated her unhappiness as though it were a fragile flower.  
"It was cruel of him, Princess. Not to mention you at all. Not even to send you his regards. It isn't like him, you know."  
"He's probably too preoccupied with what's happening," Venus explained, convincing not even herself.  
"Perhaps. But I wonder at his behaviour."  
Venus stared at her feet and could not find anything to say. She was embarrassed at herself, at having spent all day at the window. What of her duties towards her Princess?  
"How is Serenity?" she asked.  
"Let's go see her together," Endymion said, offering Venus his arm.

The weeks that followed were tumultuous ones. As much as Venus missed Kunzite, she had little time to think of him. Beyond the Palace, there was a growing sense of unrest. People were slowly being divided by an agitator, a woman who had become the spearhead of a nascent rebellion. Two sides seemed to have formed: those who remained loyal to their Prince, and those who had begun to whisper that Endymion had sold the Earth to the Moon. And it seemed like civil war was imminent.

The Guardians suspected that the monoliths were exerting their evil influence over the inhabitants of the Earth. But they could not be destroyed. For there were so many, and were protected by hordes of men would would not let anyone near. Using the Silver Crystal to tear them down meant taking the lives of thousands. It would not do.

When fighting broke out in Elysion, Princess Serenity would not hear of leaving Endymion's side.  
Her Guardians had to keep escorting her to Earth every day, but would watch her more closely than ever. At all times, she would be followed by either Mars, Mercury, Jupiter or Venus. The Prince sent his soldiers into the city, in the hopes of putting an end to all the agitation. Unfortunately, they were soon outnumbered, as many of them chose to join the rebellion and desert their Prince.

One morning, after much deliberation, Venus decided to make an offer to Endymion.  
Joining him in the great hall, she bowed before him.  
"Your Majesty," she began. "I know the warriors of the Moon prefer not to get involved, for fear that it would mean declaring war against the Earth. But in the hinterlands of my planet, there is a group of landless warriors whom you could borrow, and instruct to help your remaining soldiers restore order to your city. They are all honourable, and would gladly serve you if I asked them to."  
"I thank you for your kindness, Princess Venus, but your planet is in no debt towards mine."  
"Nor does it need to be. I only want to help, for Serenity's sake. If you are safe, if the Earth is safe, then she is happy. Please, accept my offer."  
Endymion took a moment to reflect.  
"Very well," he said, and Venus immediately set out to summon her warriors to the Earth.

II.

Daylight poured in through the holes in the ceiling, making the dome above Kunzite's head resemble a starry sky. He shifted in the hot water of his bath, his elbows resting on one of the upper steps of the small pool, which was surrounded by four columns. The tall structures were joined together by pointed arches that featured intricate patterns, while the walls of the bathhouse were covered with mosaics.

The attendant had left him alone, at his request. Kunzite's mind was troubled. Sighing, he drew nearer to the center of the pool and slowly lowered himself into the water, until his head disappeared underneath it. There, he found a humming silence. But there was no blocking out the noise inside his own head.  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._  
No matter how far he went, he could not escape the storm within him. After joining Beryl for the awakening of the monoliths, Kunzite had fled. For he had seen something which he had wanted to forget. Felt something he had wanted to resist. Ah, but it haunted him still. There was no place in the world remote enough to sever him from it. He had feared what would happen if he remained in Elysion, if he gave in to the irresistible energy that had filled his body and his mind, and had begun to blacken his heart. In the Middle East, he had hoped to rid himself of Beryl's influence. Of his desire to join her. Of the depraved philosophies she had insinuated into his brain.  
Yet wherever he went, she stalked him in spirit, like the ghost of a dead huntress.  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._

"Lord Kunzite."  
At the muffled sound of his name, Kunzite suddenly emerged from the water.  
The attendant had returned with a letter on a copper plate. It was an urgent message from Elysion. Kunzite turned to the stairs and climbed out of the pool, his white robe clinging to his skin, following the line of his stomach, and revealing his navel through the thin ripples of its wet fabric. He pushed his dripping hair back behind his shoulders and then wiped his hands on a towel before picking up the letter:

_Kunzite,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to tell you that the other Heavenly Kings and I would like to request your immediate return to the Palace. A civil war appears to have broken out in Elysion. Men are fighting each other, driven by forces dark and unknown, and we fear what the outcome of this upheaval might be, should nothing be done to put an end to it. Please come as soon as you can make the arrangements for your journey. Your men need your guidance, and so do I._

_Prince Endymion_

He paced around, dragging behind him the heavy strip of soaked cloth that descended over his back and onto the floor. He would obey Endymion and return home. Beryl was probably behind the upheaval, the validity of which he would have to evaluate later. At any rate, there was little sense in him staying where he was. It had proved inefficient in taming the winds that were blowing through his mind. Once in Elysion, he would decide what course to take.

There was another reason for him to return to Endymion's Palace. He put the letter away and sat on a nearby bench, slouching against the humid wall. He sighed, and his thoughts turned to Venus.  
She had been a comfort to him in his exile, as well as a vexation.  
Not writing her had been a torment. Countless times, he had settled at a desk by a window, pen in hand, determined to break the silence he had imposed between them. And just as he would be about to touch the surface of the paper with the black ink, he would become paralyzed with fear, resentment, doubt.  
_She does not truly love you._  
He hardly trusted her anymore, yet seemed to suffer physically from the distance that separated them. His body ached for the proximity of hers, his fingers yearned for the softness of her throat, her cheeks.  
If he could only see her once more.

Determined, Kunzite rose to his feet. He went into the next room, stripped, dried himself up, put on his clothes and his cape, and marched out of the bathhouse. He knew of a boat that would take him across the Mediterranean Sea, and it departed in two days' time.

III.

Through fire and smoke and scattered fighting, he rode across the peninsula.

As he advanced through Elysion to reach the Palace, Kunzite met with the escalating fury and agitation of war. Men battled each other on the streets in small groups, as though they were caught in petty, personal conflicts. They screamed, and strangled with bare hands, while others hid behind the walls of buildings, waiting to surprise their enemies.

Up ahead, there was a barricade. Kunzite abruptly halted his horse, which exhaled loudly and recoiled from the ragged flames that blocked its way. He was about to take another route, when two men sprang forward, to meet the Heavenly King.

"You!" one of them cried. "I recognize you!"  
"You're one of Endymion's guards!" said the other.  
"He's the _head guard!_"  
"A Heavenly King!"  
Kunzite remained silent, squeezing the reins in his hands. He felt the heat of the nearby fire on his face.  
"What are you doing, Heavenly King? Going to the Palace to serve our traitor prince?" the first man asked.  
"The one who sold us to the Moon!" the second one continued.  
"Fall back," Kunzite ordered them.  
"Our Prince Endymion is no traitor!" screamed a third man, who sprang forward.  
"Yes he is! And so are those who follow him blindly!" replied the others.  
"Tell them, my Lord," the third man begged Kunzite. "Tell them they are wrong. You continue to serve Endymion, because you know he has not sold the Earth to the Moon!"  
Grasping the hilt of his sword, Kunzite drew his weapon and raised it above his head.  
_The ringing of his blade._  
"Enough!" he cried.  
"Tell them!"  
"You will let me pass," Kunzite declared, not asked.  
They saw his eyes, heard the authority in his voice. Back straightened, he sat high above them on the steel grey stallion, observing them with his cold gaze, until they were gone.

At last, he sped passed the front gates of the palace, and into the first courtyard. A guard welcomed him, then set out to announce his arrival, while Kunzite dismounted. Once his feet had hit the ground, he proceeded to take off his gloves. He placed his bag on the ground and began to feel the exhaustion of his long voyage. He had come back as quickly as he had been able to.

It was Prince Endymion and Nephrite who came to greet him. Kunzite bowed politely, while someone lead his horse to the stables.  
"My Prince, here I am, as requested," he said.  
"Thank you, Kunzite. It's good to see you," Endymion replied. "How was your journey?"  
"Uneventful."  
"You've seen, of course, the state in which our city is at present."  
"I have. It is most alarming."  
"Indeed. But with your help, and that of our friends, I am sure we can overcome this. The priority right now is to bring order back to Elysion. I have sent my troops out, but they have proven insufficient. Some of my soliders... Well, they seem to have turned against me. Thankfully, we have just received new aid."  
"What kind of aid?"  
"I will let you see for yourself. Go to the second courtyard when you are ready. Someone is waiting there for you."  
Endymion retreated, and Nephrite stepped forward.  
"Why did you leave, Kunzite?" he asked. "What possessed you to go to the Middle East without telling anyone?"  
"I assure you, I had my reasons."  
"Your reasons? What about Venus? You have been excessively impolite to her."  
Her name made Kunzite's heart implode.  
"I do not need to justify myself to you, Nephrite," he retorted. "I am here now, and that is all that matters. What has occurred?"  
"Didn't you see? The city is at war. People are fighting each other, because of Princess Serenity's visits here. Some people believe our Prince has sold the Earth to the Moon, while others wish to follow him no matter what."  
"Have you identified a leader to this movement?"  
"People speak of a woman named _Beryl_."  
Kunzite looked away.  
"And what do you think of all this?" he asked.  
"I? I don't know what to think. Sometimes, I wonder if this civil war is not unjustified. But then, there are those pillars. They seem to be responsible for all this violent, mindless behaviour."  
"Perhaps it is not so mindless."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Nothing. I need to go to the second courtyard now."  
"Ah yes. You're in for quite a surprise. Just for the record, I never consented to it. I made my disapproval clear to Endymion, but he urged me to trust his judgement."  
Intrigued, Kunzite left Nephrite, to head for the second courtyard.

It was there that he saw her, standing proudly, in all the glory of her statuesque beauty.  
_His Goddess._  
Having heard his footsteps, she turned around to face him, and let out a gasp. She appeared so fragile, with her mournful eyes and parted lips, and yet so strong in the way she stood there, with her head up high and her feet planted firmly on the ground. He watched her golden hair move with the breeze and touch her chin, and wanted nothing but to draw nearer and clasp her in his arms.

He had finally returned. Every part of him, she had missed. From the proportions of his body, to the shape of his mouth. And now, she found herself in his presence again. As he slowly walked over to her, she strove in vain to remember her despair at his sudden departure, and the cruelty of his silence.

His eyes were fastened to hers. He did not yet see what lay beyond her. The rows of men, waiting for orders. The golden Venusian warriors the Goddess had assembled. She was all that he beheld.  
"You're... You're back," Venus uttered, hardly believing that he was standing right in front of her.  
He remained quiet, staring at her, forbidding himself to beg for her forgiveness.  
_Your lover is deceiving you._  
"You were gone a long time," she continued, her wounded voice betraying her distress and all the days she had spent weeping for him.  
He could tell.  
But would not believe.  
"Kunzite, I..."  
Suddenly, he snapped out of his daze and noticed the strange soldiers in the courtyard.  
"Who are they?" he asked with a frown, as though he had just awakened from a long sleep.  
"Walk with me. I'll tell you," she replied, inviting him to follow her through the Eastern side of the Palace, and into the gardens.

As they left together, one of the warriors peered at them with envy.  
His name was Adonis, whose lifelong dream had been to meet the Princess of Venus. Now that he had finally seen her in person, he found his happiness tainted by a blooming jealousy. It filled his soul with its dark petals, and would never die. In that moment, he swore to himself that it would transcend the ages. For he could tell by the way Venus stared at Kunzite, that he was the cursed man for whom her love would remain forever unequalled.  
Lost in each other's eyes, they walked side by side, keeping each other at a safe distance, though their mutual attraction was obvious, unquestionable. She seemed hurt, and he seemed hesitant, unsure of what he should do.  
Adonis studied them with bitterness in his heart, until they were out of sight.

"As you know," Venus told Kunzite once they had stepped outside, "the people of Elysion are at war. They are being influenced by those pillars, and by a seditious woman named Beryl. The Prince tried to settle things down by sending out his troops into the city, but they need reinforcements. So I have offered him some of my warriors. I have brought them here from Venus, in the hopes that they will help put an end to this war."  
_The Moon and its allies wanted to control the Earth._  
"I'm going to dispatch them today," she continued. "They are ready for battle."  
"You would ask them to fight against the men of the Earth?" Kunzite asked.  
"They're not going to fight against anyone. They are simply going to stop the enemies of Prince Endymion from tearing down this city."  
_Oh, the sorceress was right._  
_She was right._  
"This is akin to an invasion," Kunzite declared.  
"What are you talking about? I merely let Endymion borrow these warriors. They aren't even part of my personal -"  
"I cannot believe that my Prince has allowed this," he interrupted her with anger.  
She stopped.  
"What's wrong with you, Kunzite?"  
"You think I cannot see what you are doing. When are the other Guardians going to summon _their_ warriors to the Earth?"  
"They won't. This was my idea, mine alone. I wish to protect the Earth."  
"Yes, so you can hand it over to the Moon."  
"How can you say that?"  
_What was this darkness in these eyes she had worshiped?_  
_It did not belong there._  
"This is too much to bear," he replied, turning away.  
"Wait!"  
He readily complied, as he was unable to distance himself from her just yet.  
"Kunzite. Do you... Do you not love me anymore?"  
His heart sank. The question had come unexpectedly.  
_Did he not love her anymore?_

Kunzite approached her, moving towards her very decidedly. She did not draw back, so he placed his right hand on her nape, and gently pulled her towards him, to gaze directly into her eyes. With his other hand, he stroked the side of her head, his fingers sinking downwards to her cheek.  
He saw himself kissing her; brushing his lips against her skin, then pressing them to her mouth to make her yield to him, to make himself yield to _her_.  
But he did not.  
"Do I not love you anymore?" he breathed. "Venus, when one truly loves, one cannot cease to love. Once bestowed, love cannot be taken back. It is offered, and never returned. Because love should be given entirely, without reserve. And because love is deathless, not a fleeting, mortal sentiment."  
Her hands were shaking. She did not dare put them around him. She kept them suspended above the sides of his waist, her fingers tense and arched.  
_She knew that he was right, because she felt the same way._  
"My sweet goddess," he whispered almost imperceptibly, "I have served you long enough."  
Closing his eyes, Kunzite rested his forehead against hers, then carefully released her.

And Venus watched him leave.  
Her vision growing blurry.

IV.

Kunzite unknowingly strode right passed the window where Venus had once read his cold, indifferent letter. He hurried through the darkness, to find his fellow Kings drinking together in the council room of the palace.  
"Ah, there he is, our elusive leader," Nephrite said when he walked in, raising his glass in his direction.  
"Isn't it a little late for wine?" Kunzite wondered, folding his arms.  
"Where have you been, Kunzite?" Jedeite asked him.  
"And care to tell us what you've been up to, these last few weeks?" Zoisite inquired. "Why did you go to the Middle East?"  
"We've been waiting all day for you. Why did you leave again only minutes after having arrived back at the Palace? Where did you go?" Nephrite interrogated him.  
_Darkness had drawn him back to the sorceress. _  
_To her dreary cavern, where she wove her sordid spells._  
_And defiled innocent minds._  
"I have a question of my own. Why are you all here, at this late hour?" Kunzite asked.  
"We are discussing the uprising," Jedeite informed him.  
"The way in which Endymion has chosen to handle it does not agree with us," Nephrite explained. "But never mind that. Answer our questions first. Oblige us."  
"Forgive me," Kunzite said. "I know how strange my conduct has been. But I need you to listen to me very carefully. The Earth is in grave danger. And we are partly responsible."  
"_We?_" Zoisite spat.  
"I have been enlightened, dear friends. I have seen with my mind what my heart had obscured. I tried to avoid it, and that is why I went to the Middle East. Coming back to Elysion, I realized that all my doubts were justified."  
"What doubts?"  
"Our planet is being conquered. Princess Serenity is not what she seems to be. Her innocence is nothing but deception. The Moon and its allies have always envied the Earth. And what better way to subjugate it, than to subjugate its Prince, and its Kings of Heaven?"

They remained silent, appeared less troubled than he had expected them to be. For without Kunzite's knowledge, Beryl had already begun to influence his men. She had whispered into their ears at night, infiltrated doubt and fear into their subconscious. Molded and prepared them for that moment when their leader would rally them.  
"Go on," Jedeite said.  
"I'm afraid the Guardians have been following the plans of their master, the Moon. How do you explain the fact that each of them formed an attachment to one of us? I know you might not want to believe it, but... Their true intent is to control the Earth by using us."  
"I find the notion revolting," Nephrite spat. "And yet, I can hardly argue against it. I've had an uneasy feeling for a while now. And as much as I adore Jupiter, I would never allow her to use me in the service of the Moon."  
"Neither would I," Jedeite declared.  
_Rising waves._  
"It is quite true that Prince Endymion has been following Serenity's ever whim," Zoisite reflected, encouraged by the others. "Only consider how closely the people of the Moon have been watching us, using her safety as a pretense for their constant surveillance."  
_Agitated was the air. Saturated with the ripples cast forth by the black towers._  
"You believe, then, that the Moon is responsible for all those monoliths?" Nephrite asked Kunzite.  
"No. Those are a gift from the Sun. They are meant to strengthen us in our time of war."  
"You mean, the one that's been unfolding in Elysion?"  
"I mean an even greater war. There are Venusian warriors on our planet, and it is only a matter of time before there are more, from Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. It has become clear to me that they mean to invade us. But we must rid the Earth of the influence of the Moon. As you know, the relationship between Serenity and Endymion unsettles many people. Think of how divisive the issue has been. If we unite, and lead our people, we can preserve our planet."  
_Help Aeolus gather the storm for Juno._  
"What of our Prince?" Nephrite asked.  
"Our _Prince?_ Endymion knows not what he is doing. He has put the Earth at the Moon's mercy, all because he is in love with Serenity. He would never turn against her. He would rather turn against his own people. After all, he's already let them turn against each other. We cannot trust him to do the right thing anymore."  
"You would go against our master's will?"  
"I am sorry to say that has proven himself unworthy of our trust."  
"Then who else should we serve?" Zoisite asked suspiciously.  
Kunzite took a deep breath.  
"Come with me, and I will show you."

They waited at the foot of the giant monolith, while the moon glowed on the mountainside. Kunzite had lead them through the night, and they had stopped in front of the dark structure, whose tremendous energy seemed to surge through their bodies.  
"Well?" Nephrite asked. "What is it that you wanted to show us?"  
"Patience," Kunzite replied.  
Nephrite did not need to struggle with Kunzite's directive for long. A figure slithered out from behind the monolith.  
_Beryl._  
"That hair... She's the woman I saw in the palace that night!" Nephrite exclaimed.  
Kunzite held out his hand in a silencing gesture.  
"So you have brought them, my sweet King," she said, arms stretched at her sides.  
"I have."  
"Noble, courageous Kings of Heaven. Your leader has called you here because he needs your help. We must protect the Earth together. You have probably already heard of me. I am Beryl, and I wish to serve this planet."  
"Is_ she_ the one we should put our trust in?" Zoisite questioned Kunzite.  
"Yes, my elegant protector of Europe," she replied.  
"I... I recognize her voice. I've heard it before," Jedeite suddenly said.  
"So have I," Nephrite revealed.  
"And I," Zoisite said, studying Beryl.  
"I have opened the minds of Men to the treachery of their own Prince. But there are still those who will not rebel against Endymion, for they are afraid. But if you, the Kings of Heaven, join me, and openly show your support to this great cause, they will undoubtedly let us lead them. For if the Kings of Heaven no longer serve their Prince, then neither should his people! It is time you stopped being ordered around by that traitor!"  
"Why should we join you?" Jedeite asked. "The blood of angels flows through our veins. What makes you worthy of our allegiance?"  
"What are you," Nephrite added, "but just another child of the Earth?"  
Beryl crossed her arms over her chest.  
"I am much more than that. Serve me, for I am blessed by the Daughter of the Sun!"  
She had barely spoken, that a dark mass rose from the ground behind her, and filled the sky above. It was a concentrated shadow, with two glowing eyes, a wicked mouth, and a diamond-shaped blackhole in the middle of its forehead.  
Suffocating, the Heavenly Kings could barely stand on their feet. The creature released wave after wave of energy and swallowed them in her terrible, unfathomable purpose.  
"She is our Goddess, and you shall kneel before us if you wish to truly serve the Earth. You will obey me, for I am become her handmaiden," Beryl proclaimed.  
Squinting, Jedeite shielded his face with his arm.  
"How brightly the darkness shines," he declared.  
"Lead us to victory," Nephrite breathed.  
"I will lead you only if you give yourselves to me completely," Beryl said. "Separate yourselves from your traitor Prince, and pledge yourselves to me instead. Pledge yourselves forever, and you will have power like you have never had before."  
They hesitated, unwilling to succumb, yet unable to resist. It was like they had been bound in shackles and made to stare into spinning eyes. What chance could they possibly stand against an evil so absolute?

Finally, they were given the encouragement that they needed. There was only one Heavenly King whose example they would all follow.  
Kunzite stepped forward, and knelt down before the sorceress.  
"We are yours," he announced, and his men imitated him.  
Each of them sinking to his knees in utter submission.

As the dark shadow slowly receded, Kunzite took Beryl's hand, and kissed it.

V.

Sitting on the rooftop of the city temple, Nephrite examined the stars.

He focused intently, searching for the oldest amongst them. They spoke to him in their arcane language, revealed their age and the flickering secrets they had guarded for millennia. Nephrite shivered. Never had the stars appeared so clearly to him before.

Kunzite soon joined him. Standing respectfully behind him, he spoke:  
"There you are, Nephrite. I was looking for you."  
"Were you?" Nephrite asked distractedly, still watching the night sky.  
"They are at the palace tonight," Kunzite said.  
Nephrite did not react. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.  
"I have changed my mind about something," he said.  
"What about?"  
"I have come to the conclusion that the death of a star is more beautiful than its birth," Nephrite declared. "Because when it dies, a star yields to darkness, thus restoring the cosmos to its former, unblemished glory."  
Folding his arms, Kunzite considered his words.  
"You are right. The death of light is a return to the purity of darkness."  
Nephrite formed a small star at the tip of his index finger. He studied it for a few seconds, then extinguished it.  
"Is it time?" he abruptly inquired, as though he had just realized what Kunzite had told him earlier.  
"Our Mistress thinks we should attack the Palace tonight."  
"Is Beryl certain that Princess Serenity is there?"  
"Yes. She and her Guardians have decided to stay overnight. There are no palace guards left. And they are concerned for the Prince."  
"Concerned they will lose his _allegiance_. The entire planet is against him now. Even those Venusian warriors were no match for the anger of all our people, united."  
"I have slain many of them myself."  
Nephrite smirked, turning around.  
"Yes, I meant to ask about that. Was that some form of revenge? Over Venus? You were quite adamant about us leaving as many of them to you as possible."  
Kunzite did not reply. Knowing he would get no answer from him, Nephrite gave it up and rose.  
"So, what is our strategy?"  
"It has not changed. We lead our troops to the doors of the palace, where we enter, all four of us, and give Endymion one last chance to surrender, to forsake his ties with the Moon. Should he refuse, we openly challenge his authority, and attack. The Princess is there. We must drive her away from our planet. The people of the Earth must show her that she is _never_ to return. With all the strength we have drawn from the monoliths, we are sure to prevail."  
"I am ready!" Nephrite roared.  
"I believe _they are_ as well," Kunzite replied, looking beyond the rooftop.  
And the dark masses fell into view.

Congregated around the temple, the crowds of Elysion awaited the orders of those who would lead them to war. Once the Heavenly Kings had been corrupted, all men but Prince Endymion had eventually fallen. For if the Earth's most virtuous had turned to darkness, then there could be no hope for the ordinary man to hold on to light. Evil spread and poisoned the entire planet, like a festering wound.  
"She is waiting," Kunzite said as his eyes met Beryl's.  
The sorceress stared back at him from the temple garden, were blackened roses bloomed.  
Nephrite nodded.  
"Then let us begin."

VI.

Endymion knew that his Heavenly Kings had deserted him. He had not seem them at the Palace in over a week, and had heard of their involvement in the violent battle that had annihilated Venus' warriors.

When Serenity had asked to stay with him, he had been reticent. The last few days had been relatively calm. His people had stopped fighting each other, but he knew that it was not because they had made peace, but because they had all agreed to unite, under the dark banner of the monoliths. What they would do next, he could not say. But the winds would soon pick up. There was no doubt in Endymion's mind.

Eyes fixed on the crystal chandelier above, he sat with Serenity in one of Palace rooms. She held his hand, and rested her head on his shoulder. They breathed together, their chests rising and falling at the same time.

Venus sat nearby, in a chair. She was startled by Mars, who suddenly walked into the room and headed straight for the next one, as though she had not even seen her friends.  
"Poor Mars," Serenity said in a soft voice. "She hasn't spoken to anyone in days."  
"She's very angry with Jedeite," Venus said.  
"Mercury's been acting like nothing happened, but I can tell how hurt she is. And Jupiter's in a fury. She must be training as we speak."  
"It is to be expected."  
"And you, Venus..."  
"Me?" Venus shrugged. "I'm concentrating on my duties."  
"But Kunzite..."  
"Kunzite made his choice. And I, mine."  
_Oh, to feel his hands on her face again._  
"I know you Venus. You're unhappy."  
"I am quite over it."  
_To fall into his arms again._  
"I don't believe you."  
"He matters little to me now."  
_Aeolus, Aeolus._  
Without taking his eyes off the chandelier, Endymion intervened.  
"I think, my love, that perhaps it would be best if we changed the subject."  
He kissed Serenity's head and then saw the light fixture move.  
"Can... Can you feel that? The ground is shaking." Venus said, springing to her feet.  
"What is it?" Serenity asked.  
Venus rushed to the windows, and saw the crowds, with their torches, their spears and their shields. They ran towards the palace, in close formation.  
"They're coming!" she cried.  
And Endymion stood up.

Jupiter was the last to join them. Alarmed and out of breath, she came running in. But by the time the Guardians could decide whether to confront them or not, the Heavenly Kings had already walked into the Palace. And soon enough, they were right there before them, in the same room.  
"Traitors!" Mars shouted. "How dare you show your faces to us?"  
Stepping forward, Endymion gently pushed her aside.  
"Let me handle it," he said to her.  
Behind Kunzite, the Kings remained silent as their leader addressed the Prince.  
"Prince Endymion, the people of Earth have lost their faith in you. Hear the sounds of their revolt. With the strength they have been given by the monoliths, they are ready to attack the palace, and remove you from your throne. But one word from you will appease their anger. We have come here as their ambassadors, to request that you sever your ties with the Moon. Princess Serenity, you must return home, and never come back. Or we will chase you off this planet, and we will not stop until our lands are rid of you, and of your allies."  
Venus observed him, the way he spoke and the words he had chosen.  
_Did he mean them?_  
"Why do you fight against me?" Endymion asked. "You are my guardians, my most trusted men."  
"Your Highness, we have had enough of being ordered around. We can no longer stand the actions of the Moon. The way they spy at us from a distance, and seek to conquer us."  
"When have you been ordered around or spied on? Whose words are you repeating? That repugnant creature's? Do you not see? We are simply being made its tools."  
"Do not speak that way of Beryl. She is our Mistress, and our liberator."  
"Your _liberator?_"  
"The Earth's liberator. She has opened our eyes. We shall preserve the sovereignty of our planet. Whether you cooperate or not. You shall not stand in our way. Tell us, once and for all: will you turn your back on the Moon and serve your people's interests instead?"  
"You are not serving the Earth's interests. That woman is evil. She is a pawn of darkness. Is it not clear to you?"  
"The true beauty is within the shining darkness," Kunzite stated.  
"What are you saying, Kunzite? You, of all people? How can you embrace such vile philosophies?"  
"So you will not fight on our side."  
"I don't wish to fight at all. You are the ones who are ready to start a war over nothing but fear and lies! The Moon does not wish to conquer the Earth. I will not support this revolt against Serenity's people."  
"Then you are a fool, Prince Endymion."  
Violent winds filled the room, howling all around Kunzite, whose eyes began to glow. The other Kings pulled out their swords. Jupiter wasted no time and assailed them with blinding thunder.  
"Go! Now!" she screamed, and her friends immediately escorted the Prince and Princess out of the room.

"We must reach the throne room. That's where we opened the portal today!" cried Mercury.  
"You must return to the Moon!" Mars told Serenity.  
"No! I won't leave Endymion," she retorted, refusing to let go of his arm.  
"Then he'll come with us!" Venus decided. "Will you, your Majesty? Seek refuge with us on the Moon!"  
He nodded, even though he felt that it was his duty to remain on Earth. But he knew Serenity would be in danger if he stayed, for she would never accept to be parted from him.

Jupiter's attack had filled the room with light, and had momentarily disoriented the Kings. When they glanced up, they saw that the others had gone. And after a second blow, Jupiter disappeared as well.  
"After them!" Kunzite cried once his eyes had recovered from the flash.  
"This way!" said Nephrite, leaping forward.  
They arrived in the throne room just in time to see the portal close.  
"Curse them!" Zoisite yelled, throwing away his sword.  
"There's nothing we can do now," Jedeite said. "The Moon's portal opens only from the other side."  
"Do you think they've gone to get reinforcements?" Nephrite inquired.

His question was answered by Beryl. She walked in and casually made her way to the throne, on which she sat, legs crossed provocatively over the armrest.  
"They surely have, my wingless angels."  
"Then what shall we do?" Kunzite wondered, perturbed by how quickly she had found them.  
"We must find a way to go to the Moon. For the time has come to attack it. There is no better defense than aggression."  
"You mean to invade the Moon?"  
"We must run them down. Ensure that they are no longer a threat. If we bring the Moon to its knees, it will no longer be a threat to us. And its allies will abandon all schemes against us."  
"You did not tell us that you wanted to invade the Moon."  
She glared at him from the shadows.  
"Come here, Kunzite," she ordered him.  
He obeyed.  
"Kneel."  
Because he appeared reticent, she rose, reached up and placed her hand on the top of his head, Then, she pushed him down.  
"_Kneel._"  
Kunzite was helpless. The power she had over him, he could not overcome. It was as though all the weight of the universe were forcing him to the ground. He hated and venerated her all at the same time, and soon found himself on his knees before her.  
"The Daughter of the Sun requires that we go to the Moon. It is the Earth's only chance. We must find a way to get there. How did _they?_ Is there no way to open their portal from here?"  
"No," replied Kunzite. "It only opens from there, and creates a doorway on Earth, but only as long as it remains open on the Moon."  
"Then what is the way for _us?_"  
Zoisite climbed the steps that lead to the dais and bowed before Beryl. He had been to Mercury, and knew exactly how they should proceed.  
"The only way to reach the other planets from the Earth, is by sailing the river Acheron. Unlike the Styx, its location is still known to mortals. Acheron leads to the Underworld, but also to the other planets and satellites of this solar system. Charon, the one who ferries the dead, will take the living there, but only if the request is made by a god, or by those belonging to the bloodline of angels, because of their connection to the Immortal world. As the Earth's Heavenly Kings, we fit the second category. We are the only men able to ask for permission to cross over to the other celestial bodies."  
"Indeed. We could sail the river Acheron, and ask Charon to grant us passage to the Moon," Kunzite told Beryl.  
"Us, and a fleet of our best warriors," said Nephrite.  
"And if need be, we could have even more men join us, by opening the Moon portal," added Zoisite. "That is also the way in which we shall return home."  
Beryl smiled and ran her fingers through Kunzite's hair.  
It would be the plan that they would follow.

VII.

The oars stroked the water, making it churn as the leading boat followed the course of the river. Kunzite stood at the bow, with his hand on his waist and his gaze fixed directly before him. Nephrite and the other Kings sat nearby, while Beryl supervised the rowers from the other end of the vessel. Theirs was the first of a long string of boats, all filled with warriors, headed for battle.

A distant fog soon announced the end of the mortal river, and the beginning of the pathway towards the Underworld. As Kunzite's boat floated through the thick cloud, he closed his eyes, and waited.

Within the sanctuary of his own mind, unwanted memories arose. Kunzite remembered the day he had showed Venus the Middle Eastern collection in his room. How she had wanted to know which of the objects was the most valuable, so that she might avoid touching it, for fear that she might break it.  
_"Are you very clumsy?"_ he had asked her.  
_"Not particularly. Princess Serenity is, but me, I'm just clumsy when I'm nervous."_  
_"Nervous?"_  
_"Yes, like when I'm with someone who makes me nervous."_  
_"Do I make you nervous, Venus?"_  
_"Kunzite, you make me nervous just by looking at me."_  
_"Just by looking at you?"_  
He had walked over to her and had reached out to feel her cheek.  
_"And when I kiss you..."_  
Leaning forward, he had brought his lips to hers. Tasted her, then withdrawn momentarily, to finish his sentence.  
_"...how do you feel?"_

No, he could not think of the past.  
Kunzite knew that he could not allow his thoughts to stray. He strove to chase away the image of Venus, to suppress his feverish memories.  
_This was not the time to think of her._

Several minutes later, he was pulled out of his struggle by his fellow King, who noticed something up ahead.  
Nephrite squinted and saw the figure of a man, wrapped in a black shroud.  
"Someone's there," he remarked, standing.  
Zoisite folded his arms.  
"That," he explained, "is Charon."  
Opening his eyes, Kunzite observed the ferryman as they drew closer.

Charon himself was on a boat, and had a staff-like oar with a lantern dangling from it. He wore a dark robe and a heavy cloak with endless folds. His head was covered by a deep hood that hid his entire face. His fingers were slender, revealing the structure of his bones, while his body was unusually elongated.  
"How I dislike this eerie old man," Zoisite complained.  
Sighing, he started fumbling through his pockets.  
"What are you looking for?" Jedeite inquired.  
"You'll see in a minute."  
Kunzite gave the order to boat the oars, and the vessel slowed down. The Kings all rose.  
Charon remained still, examining them until he was ready to address them. Beryl watched from afar, but her human eyes could not perceive the ferryman.  
"What do the living seek here, sailing on the river of woe? Your time has not yet come."  
His voice was low and monotonous, as though he spoke in mantras.  
It had been convened that Kunzite would be the one to make the request. Bowing, he was about to introduce himself, when Charon interrupted him.  
"I know who you are, Heavenly King. And I ask you again, what do you seek, so near the realm of the dead?"  
"We wish to request passage to the Moon," Kunzite humbly stated.  
"Passage to the Moon."  
"Yes," Kunzite breathed.  
"What of all these men?"  
"We mean to take them with us."  
"Take all these mortals through the Underworld, and to the Moon?"  
"We need their help."  
"You mortals are all the same. Your kind, Heavenly King, might live longer than other men, but you are still mortals. And war is all that has ever interested you. For you mean to wage war on the Moon Kingdom, don't you?"  
"Protecting our planet is our only objective."  
"I care little for your explanations. What the living choose to do, is none of my concern. Their fate leaves me indifferent."  
"Then you will let us through?"  
Charon stared at Kunzite through the fabric over his eyes.  
"I have grown weary of Men," he declared. "Dead, or alive."  
Tugging at Kunzite's cape, Zoisite discreetly handed him a coin.  
"Give it to him when he asks," he whispered.  
"If your wish, Heavenly King, is to cross over to the Moon with your army," Charon continued, "then it shall be granted. I am bound to obey you, for I have sworn an oath. Though I doubt how worthy you truly are. Your race has degenerated. Can you pay for this passage?"  
There was a moment of hesitation.  
"I... Yes, I..."  
"Forgive him," Zoisite quickly said. "He has not done this before. Offer him his payment, Kunzite."  
Kunzite opened his hand and held out the coin to the ferryman.  
With his bony fingers, Charon picked up the gold piece. He stared at it for a while, before putting it away.  
By habit, Kunzite examined Charon's boat, and noticed that it was full of skulls. He looked up at the ferryman again and could see part of his chin. He seemed to be wearing a steel guard over his mouth.  
"I hope you know what darkness you bring with you," Charon suddenly said.  
"We know what we are doing," Kunzite retorted.  
"No, I think you do not. But it is not my place to tell you."  
Turning his back on the Kings, Charon thrust his oar into the water and steered his boat around. He sailed ahead, guiding the mortals into the Underworld. Acheron met the other rivers in the great marsh where all rivers converged. And from there, the ferryman lead the fleet onto the narrow river Selene.

When he had taken them far enough, Charon faced the Kings again.  
"You are almost there," he said. "This is where I leave you."  
"Thank you," Kunzite said.  
"Do not thank me, Heavenly King. Curse me, for I have brought you to the end of light. And should you find yourself reborn, you will curse me again, for not having guided your soul to the Underworld."  
_His words were a murmur. _  
_An echo through the mind._  
Not understanding what he had meant, Kunzite grew concerned. His heart felt heavy in his chest.  
But before he could ask Charon what he had meant, the ferryman had already vanished.

VIII.

War tore a hole through the fabric of space, and descended steadily upon the Moon.

Floating down from the black sky, the Earthly fleet made its way over the waveless lake, and towards the land. Slowly, the boats and oars disintegrated, turned to glimmering particles as the warriors prepared to hit the ground running. What a spectacle it was. From a window, Serenity and Endymion watched in horror as men swarmed into the public square in front of the Moon Castle, and into the entire Kingdom.

"This cannot be," Endymion said, reaching out for the Princess' hand. "I should never have come here. This is all my fault."  
"No, it's not! That sorceress... She fooled everybody, including your Heavenly Kings. I know it, Endymion. She's after the Silver Crystal. Even if you hadn't followed me here, she still would have brought her army to the Moon."  
"Get away from the window!" cried Venus, who joined them with the other Guardians. "We must keep you both safe. Queen Serenity has sent the Moon warriors out to defend the castle."  
Endymion shook his head.  
"I cannot remain in hiding. This has gone too far. And those people, they are _my_ people. My responsibility. I must speak to them, try to reason with them."  
"They've been indoctrinated, your Highness. Nothing you say can convince them."  
"But I must try. They are my people."  
Letting go of Serenity's hand, the Prince tried to walk away, but Jupiter stopped him.  
"We won't allow you to go out there. Let us handle it, _please._"  
"Yes, Prince Endymion. Trust us. Stay here with Serenity. Guard her for us," Mercury said.  
"Don't let her out of your sight," Mars added.  
Although he was reticent, Endymion accepted to stay where he was.

Once he had reached the white pavements of the Moon Kingdom, Kunzite stopped to look at the castle. Warriors rushed passed him with their battle cries, while he remained still, sword in hand. He was staggered by the white building's resemblance to a mausoleum he had once seen at Agra, during a voyage in India.  
_The Taj Mahal._

Then, he noticed the view. No ocean could have ever taken him far enough for him to admire such a sight. The highest tower of the Moon Castle was backdropped by the shining stars and the Earth, which hung like a blue jewel above the pale land. Kunzite held his breath, beholding - for the first time - all of his planet's beauty at once.

A Moon warrior noted his distraction, and tried to take advantage of it. He attacked Kunzite, but someone swiftly intervened.  
"Don't just stand there!" Nephrite screamed, pushing Kunzite aside and then stabbing the enemy with his sword. "Now is the time to fight!"  
He slashed the warrior's belly open, and moved on while his opponent sank to his knees.

Kunzite raised his own sword and began to fight. He spun and lunged and struck, sliding his feet as he calmly moved through the crowd and delivered fatal blows. One warrior managed to charge at him from behind, but Kunzite turned around and parried the assault. The blades met, and rang as both men struggled for control. With a cry, Kunzite pushed, and sent his opponent's sword back until he knocked it free out of his hands. Then he immediately struck, slicing the fabric of the Moon Warrior's white toga and tearing at his flesh. Stumbling, the man tried to retreat, but the King swung again and made him lose his balance completely. Detached and composed, Kunzite drew closer to him, raised his sword, and promptly finished him.

Another man came running in his direction. Kunzite braced himself, but discovered that it was actually Zoisite, who had taken on the form of a Moon warrior in order to confound the unsuspecting enemy. He rushed passed Kunzite, briefly recovering his true form, long enough for him to address his leader:  
"You've got something on your cheek," he said, smirking.  
Kunzite immediately touched his face and stared at the blood on his palm.  
When he glanced up, he saw that Jedeite had multiplied himself. Though illusion, he made the Moon Warriors chase mere shadows while he moved in behind them and executed them.  
_You will have power like you have never had before._  
A group of five soldiers soon circled Kunzite, who breathed in and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, they glowed, and his cape rose with a flutter. The savage winds he summoned drove back all his enemies at once. Then he held out his hand, and drained them of all their energy.

Suddenly, he gasped. Something had taken hold of him, had tightened around his body. It was a glowing chain.  
At the other end of it, stood Venus.

Oh, she could barely recognize him. The violence, the rage in his countenance. He struggled to free himself, his body tense and trembling with anger, demanding release.  
Kunzite dropped his sword. He saw her holding the chain, and froze.  
"How could you?" Venus asked him.  
"Let me go," he warned her.  
"No."  
Without adding another word, Kunzite gathered the winds. He created a stormy sphere around him, and it burst, freeing him from the chain and sending a shock wave in Venus' direction. Its force was so great, that she almost suffocated. The chain slipped from her grasp and she was sent flying against a wall.

Mars, who had seen it all unfold, immediately intervened. She blasted fire at him, and Kunzite shielded himself with his cape.  
"I'll make you pay!" she screamed, but was unexpectedly held back.  
Jedeite tugged her towards him and placed his cold blade near her throat.  
"I don't think so," he said.  
With her elbow, Mars hit him in the stomach. He let her go and stumbled back in pain as she tried to get away. But she tripped and fell. Her body was sprawled out across the white pavement, and Jedeite reached for her leg.  
"Come back here," he growled, crawling on his hands and knees.

Recovering from the brutal attack, Venus forced herself to stand up. She scanned the crowd, instinctively looking for Kunzite. Once she had located him, she took a first step towards him and prepared herself. But she was spotted by three Earth warriors, who knew they would receive great praise if they killed the Princess of Venus.  
One of them shot arrows at her, four of which cut through the flesh of her arms and legs. The other two charged right at her with their swords. Venus summoned her chain, holding it tightened before her. It stopped the blades, which she quickly wrapped together and jerked out of the warriors' hands. But one of the men hit her full in the face, and she screamed in pain.

In the distance, the sound of thunder rattled the artificial atmosphere. Jupiter fought alongside Mercury, who sent tidal waves in every direction. Mars had managed to escape Jedeite, but had fallen into the hands of Earth warriors.

As he stood near a stone gate, Kunzite sensed that someone was watching him.  
He turned around and saw Beryl, with her shield and her sword.  
"You fight well," she said with a grin.  
He did not respond.  
"We must carry on, Kunzite," she continued. "It is not enough to defeat their army. We must obtain the Silver Crystal."  
"The Silver Crystal?"  
Beryl examined her puppet, consumed by the urge to grab his hair by its roots and make him submit again.  
"Yes. If the Earth has the Silver Crystal, then it will never be threatened again."  
"This is not what we set out to do. You never mentioned wanting the Silver Crystal before," Kunzite said angrily.  
"You will obey me, Heavenly King. This must be done, for the sake of our planet. For the sake of darkness itself."  
_The true beauty is within the shining darkness._  
"I will lead an assault on the castle," she continued. "You keep them busy, understood?"  
She glared at him, tensioned the strings around his soul.  
Nodding, Kunzite let her pass with a group of warriors.  
Satisfied that her best Heavenly King had fallen in line, she flung her sword in the air and addressed her troops.  
"We _will_ take the kingdom of the Moon and make it ours! The Legendary Silver Crystal will be mine!"  
The roaring of the crowd confirmed that the troops were ready to follow her to the grave.

Meanwhile, Endymion paced up and down Serenity's room. He had resolved to intervene, for he could no longer bear the senseless violence and death. How could he possibly stand by and watch his people slaughter and be slaughtered by the people of the one he loved?  
"I must do something," he declared to the Princess.  
She nodded.  
"I know."  
"Stay here. I will come back."  
"Please don't go without me. Let me help you."  
"It's dangerous, Serenity. I don't want you to get hurt."  
With a sad smile, she reached up to hold his face in her hands.  
"I wouldn't be spared if I waited for you here. If you are hurt, then so am I. We are bound together, whatever happens. Please, let me come with you."  
"Serenity."  
"I want us to face this together."  
Endymion gazed down at her, knowing all too well that he would want to do the same.  
Grabbing her hand, he lead her out of the room. Their footsteps echoed as they ran through the corridors, until they arrived outside, on the front steps of the Moon Castle.

Beryl saw him, the magnificent man she had wanted for herself for all those years. She admired his black hair and his lean figure, his uniform and his noble sword. But she no longer desired him. The power of the Silver Crystal now obsessed her more than he ever had.  
_The evil within her demanded it._  
_The darkness she has brought to the Moon._  
"Prince Endymion!" she cried. "Will you be a traitor to the Earth? This is all for our planet's prosperity! Why do you still stand on the side of our enemy?"  
"Stop!" he yelled. "Lay down your arms! Stop this futile war!"  
"It is not futile! It it done in the interest of our people!"  
"My people. I am your Prince!" he replied, addressing the Earth warriors. "I command you. Stop this immediately! War and hatred will never amount to anything but destruction and grief!"  
Laughing, the sorceress brandished her sword. From the pores of her skin, a dark mass emerged, clouding above her to exhibit its monstrous face.  
It was the atrocity that had used Beryl as its vessel.  
"In the name of the Great Ruler Metalia," Beryl cried, "Princess Serenity must _die!_"

Time itself seemed to hesitate. There was a moment of silence, of total stillness.  
The Heavenly Kings stopped fighting, and turned their attention to their Prince.  
They saw Endymion step in front of the Princess to shield her, presenting his back to his enemy.  
Sparing Serenity from Beryl's sword, and letting it run through him instead.

X.

_How could they have allowed this to happen?_  
Kunzite and the other Kings could barely move. They stared from afar from their respective positions, in total disbelief.  
_They had been born to protect their Prince._  
_But they had let him die._

Clinging on to her lover's tunic, Serenity gasped. She stared into Endymion's eyes and saw the life leave his body. He slowly sank before her, stunned, and she desperately tried to hold on to him, but he slipped out of her arms. Tears ran down her cheeks as she threw herself on her knees, searched for his sword, pulled it out of its sheath.

And turned it against herself.

"No!" cried Mars, trying to get to Serenity. Mercury was with her, but Jupiter was nowhere in sight.  
Venus covered her hand with her mouth, sobbing, blaming herself a thousand times.  
While Kunzite's hands began to shake.  
_Serenity had truly loved Endymion._  
"Kill them! Kill them all! Get me the Silver Crystal!" screamed Beryl, whose bloodlust had not yet been satisfied.

The fighting intensified, the hatred was renewed. The Moon wanted revenge, the Earth wanted victory. Men raided the castle as the sorceress watched on from the bottom of the steps. Death swept across the land, claiming its dues.

At the foot of a white column, Nephrite wept. He pressed Jupiter's body to his chest as he knelt before her, howling. Her skin was full of bruises, wounds he himself had inflicted upon her. In a reckless assault, he had burned holes through her flesh by attacking her with tiny, malicious stars. And now, there she was, right there, in his arms, dead by his own hand. So wretched was he, that he did not even see the fatal arrow that put an end to his remorse.

Several meters away, in the middle of the battlefield, Zoisite lay stretched out on the chalky pavement. His hair was untied and his light brown curls surrounded his head like a bronze halo, as in an exquisite painting. His lifeless body rested ceremoniously on the ground and gave the impression that it had been prepared for a funeral pyre. Zoisite was slain by the sword of an Earth warrior, who had been fooled by his clever disguise and mistaken him for an enemy.

Jedeite staggered passed Zoisite, oblivious to the beauty of his fellow King's death. A Moon warrior had ambushed him and had slit his throat. He grasped at it, trying to close the wound though he knew of the futility of his efforts. Blood ran down his hands and left a trail on the ground. He soon dropped to his knees, and saw Mars lying dead on the steps of the castle.

She and Mercury had rushed to recover Serenity's body, and had died defending it from Beryl's raiders. The Guardians knew where the Silver Crystal was, and could never allow anyone to find out. Now, Mars laid on her stomach, her face pressed against a step, and Mercury agonized, wide-eyed and searching for her home planet in the starry sky.

Venus knew that there was only one thing left to do. The evil the Moon faced was of a nature far greater than expected. Throwing her arm in the air, she concentrated on the energy of the universe, and invoked the only weapon that could defeat a being as corrupt as Beryl.  
"O Divine Sword that protects the Princess, appear in my hand!"  
The stone sword was heavy. Venus gripped it with both hands and raised it above her head. She hid behind a tower, eying Beryl. The sorceress waited, with her eyes riveted upon the Moon Castle. There was no one else around her, except for Kunzite, who stood behind her. It was not an ideal situation, but there was no time to waste. Seizing her only chance, Venus emerged and charged at Beryl.  
"O Moon! O Silver Millennium!" she cried, "Grant myself and my divine sword your power!"  
Meeting the sorceress' gaze, Venus wielded her sword, then drove it straight into Beryl's stomach.

Shrieking, Beryl scrambled in vain to extract the blade from her belly, but it was Venus who pulled it out first. The sorceress recoiled, and fell back against Kunzite, clutching his cape. With her dying breath, she ordered him to kill Venus.  
"Finish her, Kunzite," she whispered. "Avenge me."  
He stepped aside to let his Mistress fall to the ground, and glanced up at Venus. Beryl was soon released of her body, and so was Queen Metalia.  
The Shadow filled the sky, and overwhelmed the Moon entirely.  
At last, Queen Serenity emerged from the castle, like a peaceful breeze amidst the chaos. A plan had begun to form in her mind.  
_She would seal this evil away._  
_Seal it into the Earth, by sacrificing the Moon._

Kunzite gave Venus a threatening look. She shook her head and moved backwards, unwilling to fight him. But when he swung his sword at her, she began to run.

He stalked her across the public square, through the colonnade around the Moon temple, and straight into the sanctuary, where he finally cornered her. Calmly walking over to her, he extended his sword.  
_Could he truly take her life?_  
"Come to me," he said.  
The sound of his voice resonated through the temple. Venus shivered. She refused to heed his treacherous provocation, and maintained her position.  
"As you wish," he declared, and charged.  
But purposefully kept his weapon out of the way.  
Immediately, Venus responded to the attack.  
_He was now her enemy, he was out of control, he had to be stopped._  
And thrust her sword into his chest.  
Watching the blade bury itself into her lover.  
_Her God of Winds._

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until Venus finally removed the blade. She threw the weapon aside, and it clanged as it hit the floor. Kunzite took a few steps back, then collapsed. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling while Venus rushed to kneel beside him. She held his head up and felt its warmth in her hand.  
"I'm so sorry," she whimpered. "I had no choice."  
Venus stroked his chest, colouring her hand with his hot blood. There were tears in her eyes.  
"I am the one in need of your forgiveness," Kunzite suddenly said.  
He held on to her gaze, not his life.  
Lingered in her presence alone.  
"How weak and unworthy I am of you, Venus," he continued, struggling to speak. "I have chosen fear, over faith."  
She shook her head.  
"You were under Beryl's influence."  
"Do not find excuses for me, my love. I do not deserve them. I lacked courage. I knew of the evil that assailed me, and chose to embrace it, instead of trusting in you. Now, my fellow Kings are dead. And so is my Prince. The very reason I was born."  
"Why did you attack me?"  
"I wanted you to put an end to this."  
"Please," she moaned, "Stay with me. Don't leave me, Kunzite."  
Reaching out for her face, he touched her cheek and wiped her tears with his trembling fingers.  
"I cannot bear to see you cry," he said.  
"Kunzite..."  
A faint smile.  
"You are so beautiful."  
She placed her hand over his.  
"Countless poets have written about the beauty of the Goddess of Love," he continued. "And here I am, merely stating the obvious to you. What trite compliments I have to offer you."  
"Not at all," she replied. "No one has ever meant it as much as you do."  
He stayed silent, looking up at her with steady eyes.  
Venus bent over and found his lips. She kissed them slowly, hopelessly trying to halt the course of time. Kunzite kissed her back, as his hand steadily descended onto the side of her neck. There could be no sweeter agony.

Memories came rushing through his mind, of the time he had spent with her. But he did not want to remember their happiness. For he had sold himself to darkness, and would never be free to love her again.  
_Oh, and she would always suffer for him, long for the past._  
_For they shared the same memories._  
When Venus pulled away, he did not open his eyes.  
"O Mnemosyne," he murmured. "Have mercy on us."  
_Aeolus' final invocation._  
"...Do not let us remember."  
His hand slipped, leaving Venus' tender throat.  
And Kunzite exhaled.

Sobbing, Venus buried her face in his chest.  
_How cruel the fates that had brought them together, only to tear them apart._  
Her tears met his blood on the surface of his lifeless body. She felt the heat deserting it, was terrified by how still it had become. Venus turned to the side and slid off him, placing herself with her back against him and resting her head on his left arm.  
Taking his hand and shutting her eyes.  
Her heart succumbing to exhaustion, and grief.

While Queen Serenity turned the Moon Kingdom to stone.


End file.
